The Danish government is taking significant steps to reform copyright law, aiming to grant its citizens rights over their own bodies, facial features, and voices. This progressive legislation seeks to enhance protections against the burgeoning threats posed by deepfakes. The proposed law is set to bolster safeguards for individuals against the unauthorized use of their likenesses generated by artificial intelligence. The Danish Department of Culture is in the process of formulating a proposal to amend existing laws, and it has already garnered support across political parties.
This bipartisan backing underscores the importance of the issue at hand. Jakob Engel-Schmidt, the Danish Minister of Culture, emphasized the bill’s intention to send a clear message regarding personal rights. He stated that “everybody has the right to their own body, their own voice, and their own facial features,” highlighting that the current legislation fails to adequately protect individuals from generative AI technologies. In comparison, the United States has seen several states introduce laws specifically targeting deepfakes.
These laws are often focused on preventing misuse in elections and addressing nonconsensual sexually explicit content. However, many of these state-level regulations are now at risk. Currently, Congress is deliberating over a new budget reconciliation bill that could potentially limit state authority to regulate artificial intelligence for a decade. This development raises concerns about the future of deepfake legislation in the U.S. and the ongoing challenges of effectively safeguarding individuals in the face of advancing AI technologies.