Human Artistry Campaign Endorses Landmark No AI Fraud Act

U.S. representatives María Elvira Salazar, Madeleine Dean, Nathaniel Moran, Joe Morelle, and Rob Wittman introduce bipartisan bill to protect against deepfakes, voice clones & other Generative AI Abuses 

The Human Artistry Campaign has announced its support of the “No AI Fake Replicas and Unauthorized Duplications Act of 2024” (or “No AI FRAUD Act”) landmark legislation establishing safeguards to protect against generative AI abuses that stem from the unauthorized copying of a person's individuality and result in deepfakes, voice clones and non-consensual impersonations.

The legislation was introduced today in the U.S. House of Representatives by a bipartisan coalition led by sponsors Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27), Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4), Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-1), Joe Morelle (D-NY-25), Rob Wittman (R-VA-1).

Human Artistry Campaign Senior Advisor Dr. Moiya McTier said:

“The most unique and foundational aspects of any person's individuality should never be misappropriated or used without consent. We applaud Representatives Salazar, Dean, Moran, Morelle, and Wittman's forward-thinking No AI FRAUD Act as a massive step forward in protecting people, culture, and art – while also urging other policymakers to follow their lead to shield us all from voice, image and likeness manipulation.

“Timely action is critical as irresponsible AI platforms are being used to launch deepfake and voice impersonation models depicting individuals doing and saying things they never have or would. This not only has the potential to harm these artists, their livelihoods and reputations, but also degrades societal trust. There has never been a more important time for our leaders to demand responsible and ethical AI that works for people – not against them.”

Generative AI is a form of artificial intelligence that can produce text, images and other content based upon the data it copies and processes. Many generative AI companies have permitted their platforms to use copyrighted material without authorization and are already exploiting individuals' image, likeness or voice without their consent. This practice threatens the livelihoods of countless creators, ranging from artists, journalists and photographers to actors, athletes and authors, among others, in two specific ways:

• Generative AI-spawned fakes may tarnish the reputation of the creators affected and unfairly compete against legitimate creative works in the marketplace.
• Egregious companies have built replica models that engage in such practices on a massive commercial scale, siphoning resources out of the legitimate creative economy.

Creators – and their fans – deserve protection against this dangerous form of manipulation that the No AI FRAUD Act and earlier Senators Coons, Blackburn, Klobuchar, and Tillis-led Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act (NO FAKES Act) discussion draft aim to combat. These important steps from all members of the House and Senate are vital to establishing the strongest laws for the American people.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY FROM HUMAN ARTISTRY CAMPAIGN MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS:

"Artists spend years, sometimes decades, meticulously crafting a brand with their labels to connect with fans. Permitting AI firms to profit from imitated artist voices undermines the core principle of copyright: to reward the risk-takers who promote the progress of the arts. This proposal is timely and addresses a significant void.”

A2IM President & CEO Dr. Richard James Burgess

“AI will unequivocally play a role in shaping the future of the music industry, and it is of the utmost importance that we work together to protect the rights of music creators everywhere as the technology develops. I applaud this effort by members of Congress to support the creative community.”

Latin Recording Academy CEO Manuel Abud

“AI deepfakes and voice cloning threaten the integrity of all music. Music creators face enough forces working to devalue their work – technology that steals their voice and likeness should not be one of them.”

National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) President & CEO David Israelite 

“As AI rapidly evolves and impacts our creative spaces, it's crucial that Congress recognizes human creativity as the center of the musical process. We are grateful to Reps. Salazar, Dean, Moran, Morelle, and Wittman for working to protect the voice and visual likeness of artists, performers, and songwriters from being replicated and exploited without consent. We look forward to working alongside our nation's leaders to ensure that music can continue to thrive in this new era of technological advancement.”

Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. 

“The No AI FRAUD Act is a meaningful step towards building a safe, responsible, and ethical AI ecosystem, and the RIAA applauds Representatives Salazar, Dean, Moran, Morelle, and Wittman for leading in this important area. To be clear, we embrace the use of AI to offer artists and fans new creative tools that support human creativity. But putting in place guardrails like the No AI FRAUD Act is a necessary step to protect individual rights, preserve and promote the creative arts, and ensure the integrity and trustworthiness of generative AI. As decades of innovation have shown, when Congress establishes strong IP rights that foster market-led solutions, it results in both driving innovation and supporting human expression and partnerships that create American culture.”

RIAA Chairman & CEO Mitch Glazier

“Without smart regulation, AI technology poses risks to individuals and intellectual property rights. We applaud the introduction of the No AI FRAUD Act. It's essential for the public to get involved and advocate. Let's ensure AI technology remains a tool for humans and not a means of human exploitation.”

SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher

“The music industry is the tip of the spear in the fight against unauthorized generative AI. Every day, music artists are being exploited as their creative works are harvested, manipulated, and repackaged without consent, credit, or compensation. The No AI FRAUD Act will create a federal property right for likeness and voice while providing real penalties for companies and individuals who attempt to steal and profit off the intellectual property of music creators.”

SoundExchange President & CEO Michael Huppe

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