Prof. Alan Rozenshtein Quoted in St. Paul Pioneer Press About Legislation Restricting Computer-Generated Sexually Explicit Images of Real People

Professor Alan Rozenshtein was quoted in the St. Paul Pioneer Press about a bill introduced in the Minnesota State Senate that pushes for more restrictions on convincing computer-generated sexually explicit images of real people. Under the new bill, companies that provide artificial intelligence-generated “deepfakes,” or photorealistic videos or images of people, would have to shut off their ability to generate pornographic content of real people if operating in the state of Minnesota. However, Prof. Rozenshtein said that if the new bill became law it would face serious challenges in court, where a judge may find it unconstitutional because it violates speech protections. He said, “I recognize the problem of deepfakes, I think it’s a very serious problem. But people also have the right to create erotic imagery for their own consumption.” He added that to address the problem of deepfakes without violating Constitutional rights, lawmakers should focus on the harm caused by distribution.