(Alabama)- A state task force formed to regulate the use of artificial intelligence is pulling together data as a first step toward a November report with policy recommendations.
The Alabama Generative Artificial Intelligence Task Force has surveyed 139 state agencies about their use of AI.
Daniel Urquhart, secretary of the task force, said Wednesday 130 agencies replied, and 104 said they do not employ AI. Urquhart said the data had not been yet reviewed and may change prior to publication in the November report.
Urquhart cautioned against proposing stringent regulations that could prevent the state from using new technology in the future.
“You don’t want to be too rigid. The technology is still evolving, and we don’t want to put ourselves in a box,” Urquhart said.
The Alabama Legislature passed at least two bills regulating AI passed in the 2024 legislative session this spring.
HB 168, sponsored by Rep. Matt Woods, R-Jasper, makes it illegal for people to knowingly produce, have, record, photograph or distribute child sexual abuse material, including “computer-generate depictions of children that are indistinguishable from depictions of real children.”
The bill, signed into law in April, makes it a Class B felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, to “knowingly advertise, promote, present, distribute, or solicit by any means” computer-generated material of real children engaging in sexual acts. The law takes effect on Oct. 1.
HB 172, sponsored by Rep. Prince Chestnut, D-Selma, makes it a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail (and Class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, for subsequent violations) for distributing AI-generated media falsely showing a person engaging in speech or activity he or she did not engage in to influence an election. It also goes into effect Oct. 1.
The task force is scheduled to meet again in September with subcommittees meeting in between.
Alander Rocha is a journalist for the Alabama Reflector.
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