On January 12, 2024, California state Assembly member Marc Berman introduced a bill that would impose criminal penalties for the creation, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) created using artificial intelligence (AI). The bill would expand California’s definition of “obscene matter” to include “representations of real or fictitious persons generated through the use of artificially intelligent software or computer-generated means, who are, or who a reasonable person would regard as being, real persons under 18 years of age,” including those “engaging in or simulating sexual conduct.”
In a press release, Assembly Member Berman stated he expects the bill to reach the Assembly floor this March.
You can find a summary of key themes in AI bills introduced by state legislatures in the past year in our blog post here.