On Jan. 27, 2024. X, formerly known as Twitter, blocked users from trying to search for Taylor Swift after explicit deepfakes of the singer went viral just days before. Business Insider reported that the outbreak of deepfakes renewed calls for legislation against artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfake technology. The singer wasn’t the only figure to be targeted by AI-generated deepfakes however; over the past several weeks, robocalls from President Joe Biden targeted New Hampshire voters ahead of the New Hampshire primary election. CNN reports that a new proposal would significantly expand the definition of a robocall and double the fine for those who use AI impersonating peoples’ voices.

In recent years, the debate over AI and its place in society has heated up after several reports of copyright abuse, plagiarism, and other instances of using deepfake technology maliciously. Now the U.S. government is aiming to restrict AI’s impact. The Associated Press reported that many AI companies will have to present information regarding their AI programming to the government in order to prevent abuses of the systems.

Already social media platforms like X, Facebook, and YouTube are plagued with misinformation, but with recent innovations in generative AI things have only become worse. Amitkumar Shrivastava reports that from 2022 to 2023 the number of deepfakes had increased by a factor of 10. Deepfakes can be used to commit identity fraud, account takeovers, and forced verification. They can be used to spread false information, to cyberbully, and defraud on a much larger scale; recent advancements in AI have made things worse.

The path toward regulation will be difficult, but as awareness of this issue grows it is likely to be taken more seriously. AI presents challenges for the interpretation of the law, making action both difficult and incredibly important.