Every day a new invention breaks the foundation of what we once thought was possible with AI. However, with these innovations also come new innovative ways to commit crimes. The subject of AI misuse with child exploitation is a topic that is hard to speak upon for many American citizens, due to its immoral and dark nature. This topic forces us to confront not just the dark possibilities of AI when placed in the wrong hands, but the darkness in the people using AI this way.
With the rise of AI has also come the rise of AI-generated deepfakes which has led to children being exposed and exploited by harmful AI-generated content. Just like the robber barons of the American West who exploited the new industrial frontier; today in an age of technology we face modern robber barons. Without clear legal boundaries set by the government, bad actors can create material that can have devastating real-world consequences for child development. The challenge that we face today is to recognize the dangers of unregulated AI use while at the same time creating new policies that effectively deafen these dangers without infringing upon the progress of the technology itself.
This is where Georgia’s new bill, “Ensuring Accountability for Illegal AI Activities Act” (Senate Bill 9, SB 9) comes in. This bill was recently read in the Senate on Jan. 15, 2025. The purpose of the bill is to prevent AI-generated exploitive child content and enhance penalties for AI-assisted crime. In America today one of the biggest political issues is the economy, government spending concerns are at an all-time high. Policies such as Diversity inclusion programs (DEI) are being defunded on account of costs due to fear of overspending.
While such political action is being debated vastly. Bipartisan support in Georgia for this bill has deemed the spending for such online enforcement a must. This bipartisan support for the bill not only reflects the sentiment that Georgian communities have about the dangers of AI but also reflects the growing political cooperation that is happening in Georgia, with Georgian politicians cooperating on other bills such as Medicaid in the state.
It is important to recognize that this issue is one that both political parties recognize as a must-need to enforce. This bill is a message to not just the counties of Georgia that are affected by this but to the world itself. That actions taken by vile individuals will not be taken lightly, that there is regulation, and that the demand for enforcement is of top priority on both political aisles.
This modern AI frontier is not like the American frontiers of the old. In the modern world today there is no room for robber barons, there is no room to consider the cost of enforcement when the need to enforce is so great.
It is my pride today to say that the politicians of Georgia have come to do something special. These politicians have upheld their role as a voice of the people, in an era where that role has come into question. Law enforcement today will not just punish wrongdoers, but will also lead to righteous character. I can only hope that more states will follow this foundation set by Georgia, and that law enforcement around AI will continue to develop and evolve its enforcement, free of concerns about cost.
