California Governor Gavin Newsom took decisive action today by signing into law two pivotal bills aimed at enhancing protections for performers concerning their digital likenesses, both during their lives and after their passing. The official signing took place at SAG-AFTRA’s headquarters in Los Angeles, an organization that has been instrumental in advocating for these legislative changes. Newsom emphasized the importance of ensuring that individuals retain control over their names, images, and likenesses, stating that they should not be exploited by unscrupulous entities without proper representation.
One of the key pieces of legislation, Assembly Bill 1836, broadens California’s posthumous right of publicity. It mandates that permission from an estate is required to utilize digital replicas to mimic the voice or likeness of a deceased individual. There are, however, exceptions for usage related to news reporting, public affairs, sports broadcasts, and for creative forms such as satire, comment, or parody, as well as in certain biographical or documentary projects.
The other significant law, Assembly Bill 2602, enhances artists’ protections in contractual agreements regarding their digital likenesses. “Today marks an important milestone for SAG-AFTRA members and everyone invested in this fight for AI protections,” remarked SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher, highlighting the collaborative efforts that led to these new regulations.
Initially, the Motion Picture Association expressed reservations about the bills but later shifted to a neutral stance. Governor Newsom still has yet to address another AI-focused proposal, Senate Bill 1047. This bill would require AI developers in California to adopt security measures prior to training their models—a move that has faced pushback from entities like OpenAI and notable figures including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Supporters defend the bill as a light touch of regulation that reflects existing voluntary safety commitments within the AI sector, with calls for its passage coming from prominent Hollywood figures, including Sean Astin and Mark Ruffalo.
Additionally, later in the day, Newsom enacted a series of laws aimed at restricting the utilization of deepfakes during election campaigns. These regulations compel platforms to either remove or label misleading and digitally altered content in the lead-up to elections. Campaign advertisements must now disclose the use of AI-generated material. “These initiatives will effectively help combat the detrimental impact of deepfakes in political advertising and more broadly,” stated Newsom. He also pointed out an instance involving Elon Musk, who promoted a video with a digitally manipulated voice of Vice President Kamala Harris, underscoring the necessity of the new law.
With these legislative moves, California is taking a proactive approach in fostering a transparent and trustworthy framework for the evolving landscape of AI and media.