From NBC News
Proposed AI fraud bill seeks to criminalize deepfakes of federal officials
By Jared Perlo
Two lawmakers are looking to crack down on fraudsters’ increasing use of artificial intelligence in a bipartisan proposal Tuesday that seeks to expand penalties for AI scams and criminalize impersonating federal officials using AI.
The AI Fraud Deterrence Act, proposed by Reps. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., and Neal Dunn, R-Fla., would update criminal definitions and penalties for fraud to account for the rise of AI...
Many observers worry that existing institutions, like the courts, cannot keep up with AI’s rapid development. “AI years are dog years,” said Hany Farid, professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-founder of GetReal Security, a leading digital-media authentication company, referring to the speed of AI progress.
Whereas AI-generated images could previously be identified by the appearance of extra feet or hands due to the rudimentary nature of prior image-generation models, today’s image-generation models are much more accurate.
The FBI’s warning in December urged individuals to search for discrepancies in images and videos to identify AI-generated media: “Look for subtle imperfections in images and videos, such as distorted hands or feet.”
But to Farid, this 11-month-old advice is wrong and even harmful. “The multiple hands trick, that’s not true anymore,” Farid said. “You can’t look for hands or feet. None of that stuff works...”
Hany Farid is a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences and the School of Information at UC Berkeley.
