Senate Committee Passes Bipartisan Bill on Oversight of Government Digital Services
The U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs has passed the Government Service Delivery Improvement Act to improve customer service interactions with government technology. The bill tasks agency heads with designating a senior official to oversee service delivery improvements and requires the Office of Management and Budget to designate a senior official to coordinate governmentwide efforts.
California Governor Signs Bills Regarding Digital Likeness of Performers
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed two bills to require the consent of actors and performers to use their digital likenesses: AB2602 requires contracts to specify the use of AI-generated digital replicas of a performer’s voice or likeness, and AB-1836 prohibits commercial use of digital replicas of deceased performers in films, TV shows, video games, and other content.
California Governor Signs Three Bills Targeting Deepfake Election Content
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed three bills addressing the use of deepfakes and other deceptive digitally generated or altered content in election campaigns. The Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024 requires large online platforms to remove or label deceptive and digitally altered or created content related to elections during specified periods and allows government officials to sue online platforms for non-compliance. AB 2839, which amends California’s Elections Code, expands the timeframe expands the scope of existing law to prohibit materially deceptive content of elected officials, candidates, and elections officials. Lastly, AB 2355 amends existing state law to require that electoral advertisements using AI-generated or substantially altered content feature a disclosure that the material has been altered.
UN Advisory Body Releases AI Governance Report
An advisory body at the United Nations created last year to address international governance of AI has released a final report called “Governing AI for Humanity” that makes recommendations to address AI-related risks and gaps in governance. The report calls for a new international policy dialogue on AI governance, creating an AI standards exchange, a global AI capacity development network to boost governance capacities, a global AI fund to address gaps in capacity and collaboration among states, and global AI data framework for transparency.
