The California Artificial Intelligence Transparency Act will be a first-of-its-kind bill that would protect consumers by giving them the ability to determine if materials have been generated by AI
SACRAMENTO, CA – In a move to champion transparency and empower consumers, California State Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) will introduce in the 2024 legislative session the California Artificial Intelligence Transparency Act, a groundbreaking bill aimed at providing individuals with the ability to determine whether a product has been generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
Senator Josh Becker is a leading advocate for technological innovation and consumer rights and the author of the nation's premier consumer data privacy law, the Delete Act.
“Artificial intelligence has become an integral part of our daily lives, influencing the products we use. It is crucial that consumers have the right to know if a product has been generated by AI. In my discussions with experts, it became increasingly clear that the ability to distribute high-quality content made by generative AI creates concerns about its potential misuse,” said Senator Becker. “AI-generated images, audio and video could be used for spreading political misinformation and creating deepfakes. My legislation will aim to advance provenance, transparency, accountability, and empower individuals to make choices aligned with their values."
“As AI becomes better at producing realistic outputs and AI-generated media becomes more and more common online, we must create tools for consumers to understand whether content they are interacting with is real or AI-generated,” said Tom Kemp, a privacy rights expert and author of Containing Big Tech: How to Protect Our Civil Rights, Economy, and Democracy.
Becker’s legislation will seek to address the growing influence of AI in product creation and ensure that consumers have the information they need to make informed choices. As AI continues to play a pivotal role in various industries, the bill emphasizes the importance of disclosure and consumer awareness.
The bill will require large generative AI providers to watermark the images, videos, and audio created by their models and provide a platform for consumers to ask these companies whether content was created by them. The introduction of this legislation marks a significant step toward establishing clear guidelines for AI-generated products, setting a precedent for other states and jurisdictions to follow.
Senator Becker is committed to ensuring that consumers are equipped with the knowledge they need in an increasingly AI-driven world. He has been meeting with academics and experts in the field of generative artificial intelligence to better understand the emerging technology and necessary guardrails. In conclusion, Senator Becker is partnering with experts in an effort to establish transparency in this quickly-evolving space.
Last summer, the Biden-Harris Administration secured voluntary commitments from leading AI companies to manage the risks posed by AI. This included the commitment to develop robust technical mechanisms to ensure users know when content is AI-generated, such as a watermarking system.
“These commitments are encouraging and demonstrate the technical ability to provide this much needed transparency, but it was only the best actors that committed to this best practice,” said Senator Becker. “California is ready to once again take the lead in the space of consumer protection in innovation and technology.”