Government officials on the Isle of Man are pushing for a broader policy on deepfakes, as new legislation is introduced on sexual offences.
The Isle of Man is a self-governing British Crown dependency located in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. The island with 85,000 people has its own parliament and is not officially part of the United Kingdom, but the UK government is responsible for defense and foreign relations, while the Isle governs its own domestic matters including taxation, housing, tourism, and finance.
Jane Pool-Wilson, the Justice and Home Affairs minister made the comments ahead of the Sexual Offences and Obscene Publications Act 2021, coming into force next month, as reported by the BBC. It will include some protections against AI-powered deepfakes but the minister wants further action taken.
Poole-Wilson said artificial intelligence regulation was a pertinent issue “challenging many governments around the globe”, and whilst measures had been taken locally “to protect the island against such threats”, further broader-reaching policies would be needed to “address the threats and opportunities artificial intelligence brings”.
The incoming legislation will target offenses around the distribution of intimate pictures without consent, including faked AI imagery. It will also consider revenge porn cases.
The Manx government is said to be keeping a close eye on a UK proposal to legislate for all AI-generated images to be labeled in a move to target deepfakes.
Electoral integrity fears
Just over the water in London, British MPs are increasingly concerned over the potential impact of artificial intelligence on the next general election. A survey has revealed 70% of politicians “fear AI will increase the spread of misinformation and disinformation.”
With action against AI looming ahead of the 2024 US Presidential election, there is a desire for legislation to be updated in the UK to mitigate the threat posed by deepfakes. In recent times, both London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Labour leader Keir Starmer have been the target of malicious actors using audio clips to damage them.
The survey detailed that more than half of the MPs questioned said AI could negatively interfere with electoral integrity this year, with several key elections taking place worldwide. 65% of respondents want political parties and politicians to provide clarity on how they are using AI tools in campaigns, whilst parties have been urged not to spread information or material that cannot be verified.
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