News/Law
New Mexico Cops Use AI-Generated 14-Year-Old Girl to Lure Sex Offenders
Controversial law enforcement tactics: New Mexico law enforcement officials have employed an AI-generated image of a fictional 14-year-old girl to attract and catch potential sex offenders, raising ethical concerns about the use of technology in criminal investigations. The revelation comes from a lawsuit filed by the state of New Mexico against Snapchat, alleging the social media platform's failure to protect children from sexual exploitation and harm. As part of an undercover investigation, officers created a decoy Snapchat account for a fictional 14-year-old named "Heather," using an AI-generated image to convince potential predators of her authenticity. The tactic successfully lured accounts...
read Sep 10, 2024NYC to Introduce Legislation Requiring List of Approved AI Tools
New York City aims for AI transparency: Councilmember Jennifer Gutiérrez is set to introduce legislation requiring the creation of a public list of AI tools approved for use by city agencies. Key aspects of the proposed legislation: The list of approved AI tools would be made publicly available by February 1, 2025 It would include descriptions of the data each AI tool requires access to The list would be updated every six months, with potential for more frequent updates The format could range from a simple spreadsheet to a more complex tracking system Motivations behind the proposal: Current lack of...
read Sep 10, 2024How Policing Will Soon Be Done with AI, According to Leading Police Officer
AI implementation in policing: Andy Marsh, CEO of the College of Policing, advocates for rapid integration of artificial intelligence into police forces to alleviate paperwork burdens and streamline operations. Marsh likens the desired speed of AI adoption to "injecting heroin into the bloodstream," emphasizing the urgency and transformative potential of this technology in law enforcement. The College of Policing executive expressed hope that AI could make the task of preparing prosecution case files a "problem of the past" within two years. AI trials are already underway to "effectively automate" police paperwork, including statements, crime reports, and prosecution files. Potential benefits...
read Sep 7, 2024AI Sting Operations Target Online Child Predators
Innovative law enforcement tactics: New Mexico police are employing AI-generated images of fake teenagers in undercover operations to catch online child predators, as revealed in a lawsuit against Snapchat. Operation details: The New Mexico Department of Justice created a fake Snapchat account for a 14-year-old girl named "Sexy14Heather" using an AI-generated image Despite being set to private, the account was recommended to potentially dangerous users with concerning usernames like "child.rape" and "pedo_lover10" After accepting a single follow request, Snapchat's algorithm suggested over 91 users, many of whom were adult accounts seeking explicit content Investigation findings: Investigators posing as the fictional...
read Sep 6, 2024AI Training Violates Copyright Law, New Study Finds
Groundbreaking study reveals AI training infringes copyright: A new interdisciplinary study by computer scientist Prof. Dr. Sebastian Stober and legal scholar Prof. Dr. Tim W. Dornis concludes that training generative AI models constitutes copyright infringement under German and European law. Key findings and technological insights: The study provides unprecedented insight into the technical processes involved in training generative AI models, challenging previous assumptions about the legal implications of these practices. The research demonstrates that current generative models, including Large Language Models (LLMs) and diffusion models, can memorize and reproduce parts of their training data. This capability allows end users to...
read Sep 6, 2024Xockets Sues Nvidia and Microsoft Over DPU Market Practices
Emerging tech startup challenges industry giants: Xockets, a technology startup, has filed a lawsuit against Nvidia and Microsoft, alleging antitrust violations and patent infringement in a move that could potentially shake up the data processing unit (DPU) market. Core allegations in the lawsuit: The legal action brought by Xockets centers on claims of collusion and intellectual property theft, targeting two of the most influential companies in the tech industry. Xockets accuses Microsoft and Nvidia of forming an "illegal cartel" to engage in price-fixing, effectively suppressing the prices of Xockets' DPUs. The startup alleges that Nvidia infringed on its patents, asserting...
read Sep 5, 2024AI Deepfake Laws Are Struggling to Keep Pace with Technology
The deepfake dilemma: States across the U.S. are taking the lead in addressing the growing threat of nonconsensual deepfake pornography, as federal legislation lags behind the rapid pace of technological advancement. A total of 39 states have introduced laws targeting nonconsensual deepfakes, with 23 successfully passing legislation, 4 bills pending, and 9 proposals struck down. The urgency to act is driven by the widespread impact of deepfake technology, affecting both celebrities and ordinary individuals. An estimated 90% of deepfake videos are pornographic in nature, with the majority being nonconsensual content featuring women. Federal efforts and local initiatives: While federal legislation...
read Sep 5, 2024AI Music Scam Nets $10M in Fraudulent Streaming Royalties
AI-generated music scam uncovered: A music producer has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies for allegedly defrauding streaming platforms of over $10 million in royalties using AI-generated songs. Key details of the case: Michael Smith, 52, from Cornelius, North Carolina, is accused of creating thousands of bot accounts on major streaming platforms like Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music The indictment alleges that Smith used these accounts to automatically stream AI-generated music he had uploaded, generating up to 661,440 streams per day Prosecutors claim Smith developed this scheme to circumvent the platforms' fraud detection systems Evolution of the alleged...
read Sep 4, 2024New Study Shows AI Chatbots Can Amplify False Memories in Witness Interviews
AI-induced false memories in witness interviews: A new study reveals that conversational AI powered by large language models (LLMs) can significantly amplify the formation of false memories in simulated crime witness interviews. Researchers explored false memory induction through suggestive questioning in Human-AI interactions, comparing four conditions: control, survey-based, pre-scripted chatbot, and generative chatbot using an LLM. The study involved 200 participants who watched a crime video and then interacted with their assigned AI interviewer or survey, answering questions including five misleading ones. False memories were assessed immediately after the interaction and again after one week. Key findings: The generative chatbot...
read Sep 3, 2024Dutch Regulators Slam Clearview AI with $33M Fine for Privacy Breaches
Facial recognition controversy: Clearview AI, a facial recognition technology company, faces a substantial fine of approximately $33 million from the Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) for violating privacy regulations. The DPA's investigation revealed that Clearview AI constructed an illegal database containing billions of facial images by indiscriminately scraping the internet without obtaining consent, including photographs of individuals in the Netherlands. The company's database reportedly houses over 40 billion facial images collected globally without geographical restrictions, raising significant privacy concerns. Clearview AI's technology enables users to upload a photo and search for matching images across the internet, potentially allowing for detailed...
read Aug 28, 2024California Senate Passes Landmark AI Protection Bill for Performers
California Senate approves landmark AI protection bill: The California Senate has passed AB 2602, a bill designed to safeguard performers from unauthorized AI replicas, marking a significant victory for SAG-AFTRA. Key provisions of the bill: Requires explicit consent for the use of digital replicas of performers Mirrors language from the SAG-AFTRA contract that ended the 2023 strike Extends protections to include videogames, audiobooks, and commercials Encompasses non-union work Broader implications for the entertainment industry: The bill aims to protect performers beyond those currently covered by union agreements, addressing concerns about the potential loss of rights to voice and likeness. Jeffrey...
read Aug 28, 2024California Lawmakers Advance Bill to Protect Performers from AI Replicas
California legislature takes stand on AI replicas: The California Senate has approved AB 2602, a bill aimed at protecting performers' rights in the face of advancing AI technology. The bill requires explicit consent from performers in various entertainment sectors, including TV, film, videogames, audiobooks, and commercials, before creating digital replicas of their likeness or voice. This legislation is seen as a significant move to prevent potential abuse of licensing agreements and unauthorized use of performers' digital likenesses. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors and other media professionals, has expressed strong support for the bill. Key provisions of AB 2602: The bill...
read Aug 27, 2024AI-Generated Child Porn Case Shocks Military
AI-enabled child exploitation case shocks military community: A U.S. Army soldier stationed in Alaska has been arrested for allegedly using artificial intelligence to generate and distribute child sexual abuse material, marking a disturbing escalation in the misuse of AI technology. Key details of the case: Seth Herrera, a 34-year-old soldier at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, faces multiple charges related to the transportation, receipt, and possession of child pornography, including AI-generated content. Herrera allegedly used online AI chatbots to create realistic child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) depicting minors known to him. He is also accused of possessing thousands of images showing violent...
read Aug 26, 2024Police Officers Are Using AI to Write Police Reports
AI in policing: A new frontier for report writing: Law enforcement agencies across the United States are exploring the use of artificial intelligence to streamline the process of writing crime reports, marking a significant shift in police documentation practices. The technology at work: Draft One, an AI-powered software developed by Axon, utilizes the same underlying technology as ChatGPT to generate initial drafts of incident reports based on officers' body camera audio. Oklahoma City police Sgt. Matt Gilmore experienced firsthand the efficiency of this technology, which produced a report in just 8 seconds using his body camera audio. The AI focuses...
read Aug 25, 2024What’s Comes Next for the Artists Suing Midjourney and Stability AI
Legal milestone in AI copyright battle: A class action lawsuit filed by visual artists against AI image generation platforms Stability AI, Midjourney, Runway, and DeviantArt has progressed to the discovery stage, marking a significant development in the ongoing debate over AI and copyright infringement. The lawsuit, brought by ten prominent artists including Sarah Andersen, Kelly McKernan, and Karla Ortiz, alleges that these AI platforms engaged in copyright infringement during the training of their AI models. This case is one of the first legal challenges to AI platforms to reach the discovery stage, potentially setting a precedent for future litigation against...
read Aug 25, 2024AI-Generated Child Porn Arrest Exposes Dark Side of Tech
AI-generated child pornography leads to arrest: A Florida man faces 20 counts of obscenity for allegedly creating and distributing AI-generated child pornography, highlighting the growing misuse of generative AI technology. Phillip Michael McCorkle was arrested at his workplace, a movie theater in Vero Beach, Florida, following an investigation by the Indian River County Sheriff's Office. The investigation was prompted by tips that McCorkle was using an AI image generator to create child sexual imagery and distributing it through the social media app Kik. McCorkle's arrest was part of a larger county operation targeting individuals possessing child pornography. Broader implications of...
read Aug 20, 2024Authors Sue Anthropic Alleging Copyright Infringement
AI copyright infringement lawsuit targets Anthropic: A group of authors has filed a lawsuit against artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, alleging copyright infringement in the training of its Claude chatbot. Key allegations: The lawsuit claims Anthropic engaged in "large-scale theft" by using pirated copies of copyrighted books to train its AI model Claude. The plaintiffs, authors Andrea Bartz, Charles Graeber, and Kirk Wallace Johnson, are seeking to represent a class of fiction and nonfiction writers in similar situations. The lawsuit specifically points to Anthropic's use of a dataset called The Pile, which allegedly contained pirated books used in Claude's training process....
read Aug 19, 2024Supreme Court Justice Releases New Book on AI’s Potential to Rescue Law
The proliferation of laws in the United States has reached a critical point, creating challenges for citizens and the legal system alike. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch's book "Over Ruled: The Human Toll Of Too Much Law" highlights this issue, prompting discussions about potential solutions, including the use of generative AI in the legal domain. The legal landscape's complexity: The sheer volume and intricacy of laws in the United States have made it increasingly difficult for average citizens to navigate the legal system effectively. The current state of legislation poses significant challenges for individuals trying to understand and comply with...
read Aug 19, 2024SF Attorney Launches Lawsuit Against 16 AI ‘Undress’ Websites
AI-generated non-consensual intimate imagery under legal fire: San Francisco's city attorney David Chiu has launched a lawsuit against 16 websites and apps that enable users to create fake nude images of women and girls without their consent, using AI technology. The legal action targets platforms that allow users to "nudify" or "undress" photos, primarily victimizing women and girls by swapping their faces onto AI-generated explicit images. This lawsuit aims to protect Californians and victims worldwide, including celebrities and teenage girls, from the harmful effects of these deepfake technologies. If successful, each site could face fines of $2,500 per violation of...
read Aug 18, 2024Justice Department Engages Stakeholders to Shape AI Policy
Justice Department's AI Initiative addresses opportunities and challenges: Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco's Justice AI Initiative continues to engage diverse stakeholders to shape the Department's AI policy and its impact on law enforcement, civil rights, and national security. The sixth convening of the Justice AI Initiative focused on privacy and consumer protection, bringing together organizations and advocates to discuss AI's potential benefits and risks in these areas. Topics covered included algorithmic discrimination, AI-enabled targeting of vulnerable populations, concerns about bulk data collection, and biometric privacy issues. International collaboration on AI governance: The initiative has expanded its reach to include international...
read Aug 18, 2024What the ‘Move Fast and Break Things’ Philosophy Implies for the AI Industry
AI industry's contentious growth strategy: Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt's recent remarks at Stanford University have shed light on a controversial approach to content usage and legal compliance in the rapidly expanding AI sector. Schmidt recounted that AI startups pursue a strategy in which it is 'acceptable' to use copyrighted content without permission if it leads to success, suggesting that legal issues can be addressed later through hiring lawyers. This strategy echoes the early growth tactics of major tech companies like YouTube and Google Search, which initially used content without proper rights and dealt with legal ramifications afterward. Schmidt's candid...
read Aug 16, 2024San Francisco is Suing AI-Powered “Undressing ” Apps
AI-powered "undressing" websites that create non-consensual deepfake nudes are facing legal action in San Francisco, highlighting growing concerns over the misuse of artificial intelligence technology for sexual exploitation. Legal action against AI deepfake sites: The San Francisco City Attorney's office has launched a lawsuit against 16 websites that use AI to generate fake nude images without consent. These websites, which allow users to upload clothed images and use AI to simulate nudity, collectively received over 200 million visits in the first half of 2024. The lawsuit accuses the sites of violating laws related to revenge porn, deepfake porn, child pornography,...
read Aug 16, 2024Federal Judge Advances Landmark AI Copyright Lawsuit
The legal landscape surrounding AI-generated art is evolving as a federal judge allows key claims to proceed in a lawsuit against prominent AI art generators, potentially setting a precedent for how copyright law applies to AI systems trained on internet data. Legal breakthrough for artists: A federal judge has permitted copyright infringement and trademark claims to move forward in a lawsuit filed by artists against AI art generators including Stability AI, Midjourney, and DeviantArt. The lawsuit centers on the LAION dataset, which allegedly contains 5 billion scraped images used to train AI models like Stable Diffusion. The judge found that...
read Aug 16, 2024California AI Bill Nears Vote With Key Changes to Safety Rules
California's AI regulation bill undergoes significant amendments, balancing innovation with safety concerns as it nears a crucial vote by the end of August. Key changes to California's AI bill: The amended S.B. 1047 introduces new restrictions on artificial intelligence while addressing industry concerns about potential overregulation. Lawmakers have revised the bill to require companies to test AI safety before public release, striking a balance between innovation and public protection. The California attorney general would gain the authority to sue companies if their AI systems cause serious harm, providing a legal recourse for potential AI-related damages. Regulatory duties have been shifted...
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