PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Montgomery County lawmaker is pushing a bill that would classify malicious artificial intelligence (AI) deepfakes as digital forgery under Pennsylvania’s existing fraud laws.
Montgomery County Republican Tracey Pennycuick’s bill would change Pennsylvania’s existing fraud laws to include intentionally malicious AI deepfakes.
Pennycuick said that while AI is a positive in many ways, it’s important that guardrails are put in place.
“One of the most dangerous and disturbing uses of AI is the creation of malicious deep fakes, highly realistic AI-generated images, videos, or audio recordings that portray events or speeches that never really occurred,” she said.
Her bill would allow for satire or other constitutionally protected altered videos, but would classify intentionally malicious videos, images, or audio as digital forgery under existing Pennsylvania law.
“Under this bill, any person who creates a deep fake of a real individual and distributes it as a genuine article with the intent to defraud or injure would face legal penalties,” she said.
Sen. Steve Santasiero, a Democrat from Bucks County, who supports the bill noted concerns over a federal proposal backed by President Trump. Dubbed by Trump as his “big, beautiful bill,” the proposal would prohibit states from making any laws that regulates AI for 10 years.
“We should not be prohibited from passing these types of bills and any kind of regulation that will safeguard the people of Pennsylvania,” said Santasiero.
Pennycuick agreed and said she sent letters to Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation urging them to remove that federal provision.
“We need to be able to prosecute those that are using AI nefariously against our citizens, and a 10-year moratorium does not allow us to do that,” she said. “So I am in complete agreement with you that it's got to come out.”
She also said Google reached out offering to help with the legislation.
The bill moved out of the Senate Judiciary Committee with bipartisan support and heads to the full Senate floor.