The bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Bill Blessing (R-District 8), would make the creation of AI child sexual abuse material a third-degree felony.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — When Liz Cline was 15 years old, her brother alerted her to an image that was circulating around his wrestling team.
Cline said someone took a photo of her from a beach vacation on social media and used artificial intelligence to alter the image to make it pornographic.
“I was upset and it was embarrassing,” she said. “Even though it is not a real picture, it is embarrassing to know that other people have seen me like that, even though it is not real.”
Cline went to the principal’s office to report the incident and called her mom.
“I was very angry,” said her mom, Kristin. “It is kind of gut-wrenching to know your daughter is going through it. Luckily, she is very strong.”
Cline spent the next few weeks addressing the rumors, telling people the image was fake.
“I always made sure I clarified they are fake, it was AI,” Cline said.
Now, at 17 years old, AI has only become more prominent. Cline wrote to legislators pushing for action.
“So the same thing that happened to me doesn’t happen to other girls and they get more justice than I did,” she said.
Ohio is just one of five states that do not have legislation specific to AI-generated child sexual abuse material, according to the child advocacy organization, Enough Abuse.
Bipartisan Senate Bill 163 seeks to change that.
The bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Bill Blessing (R-District 8), would make the creation of AI child sexual abuse material a third-degree felony.
“It creates a statutory framework to finally go after this artificially, AI-generated child pornography that, you know, right now isn’t clear in how it’s illegal,” Blessing said.
The bill would also allow victims and the attorney general’s office to take civil action against AI companies and perpetrators.
“Victims would be able to go to court and win. Whereas right now it’s just if there’s ambiguity, it’s expensive to go to court. Having that clarity will make a big difference for the victims,” Blessing said.
The bill calls for other AI protections, including requiring AI companies to watermark AI-generated content.
It also prohibits identity fraud using a “replica of a person’s persona.”
Senate Bill 163 remains in committee, but Blessing said he hopes to pass it this session.
As Cline watches AI continue to grow more powerful, she is hoping for action soon.
“People could still be making pictures like that,” she said.