After Tennessee passed the ELVIS Act this past winter to protect an artist’s name, image and likeness from being used by digital replicas, other states are considering similar legislation.

While many states were focused this past legislative session on creating regulatory frameworks or guardrails around the development and use of artificial intelligence, Tennessee had a different focus when it passed the ELVIS Act in February. 

The first-in-the-nation law, which prohibits people from using AI to mimic a person’s voice without their permission, was aimed at protecting one of the Volunteer State’s biggest industries.

The music industry, Tennessee estimates, supports more than 60,000 jobs and contributes $5.8 billion to its gross domestic product. Given the importance of music to the state’s identity and economy, state leaders argued that it made sense to protect that sector first.

“While we support the responsible advancement of this technology, we must ensure we do not threaten the future livelihood of an entire industry,” House Majority Leader William Lamberth said at the bill signing ceremony. “This legislation is an important step in maintaining public trust and advancing ongoing efforts to protect and inform Tennessee consumers.” 

You can read more in an article by Chris Teale, published in the route-fifty web site at: https://shorturl.at/e3DJk.