The Alabama Child Protection Act was passed by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. HB168The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Matt Woods (R-Jasper), would make computer-generated child pornography illegal in Alabama.
“AI-generated child pornography is not a victimless crime,” Woods told committee members Wednesday.
“And this is a growing problem across the country, and I'm hearing from people all over the state. I have personal connections with people who have experienced this. I work here at the State Capitol. Some people, unfortunately, have children who have had this experience. And as technology advances, this problem seems to be getting worse. We certainly need to be able to address those in relation to the bill.”
RELATED: Alabama Legislature Moves to Criminalize Artificial Intelligence 'Deepfake' Porn
This topic recently gained attention at a regulatory level after an incident in Demopolis in which ordinary photos of middle school girls were uploaded to an artificial intelligence website by a male classmate who generated explicit content.
Woods received help writing the bill from Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, who praised the bill's progress Wednesday.
— Attorney General Steve Marshall (@AGSteveMarshall) February 21, 2024
Woods also received some praise from state Rep. David Faulkner (R-Mountain Brook) during the hearing.
“I want to thank Congressman Woods for introducing this bill,” Faulkner said. “As technology becomes more pervasive in every corner of our society, it's fading away before us and in our laws. I think this is something that's really needed. And , I know you've been working with law enforcement and government agencies on this issue and the AG, so I really appreciate you introducing the bill.”
Yaffee is a contributor to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee
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