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The Associated Press reported the following:

California lawmakers approve legislation to ban deepfakes, protect workers and regulate AI

September 1, 2024

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers approved a host of proposals this week aiming to regulate the artificial intelligence industry, combat deepfakes and protect workers from exploitation by the rapidly evolving technology.

The California Legislature, which is controlled by Democrats, is voting on hundreds of bills during its final week of the session to send to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. Their deadline is Saturday.

The Democratic governor has until Sept. 30 to sign the proposals, veto them or let them become law without his signature. Newsom signaled in July he will sign a proposal to crack down on election deepfakes but has not weighed in other legislation.

He warned earlier this summer that overregulation could hurt the homegrown industry. …

Here is a look at some of the AI bills lawmakers approved this year.

Combatting deepfakes

Citing concerns over how AI tools are increasingly being used to trick voters and generate deepfake pornography of minors, California lawmakers approved several bills this week to crack down on the practice.

Lawmakers approved legislation to ban deepfakes related to elections and require large social media platforms to remove the deceptive material 120 days before Election Day and 60 days thereafter. Campaigns also would be required to publicly disclose if they’re running ads with materials altered by AI.

A pair of proposals would make it illegal to use AI tools to create images and videos of child sexual abuse. …

California could become the first state in the nation to set sweeping safety measures on large AI models.

The legislation sent by lawmakers to the governor’s desk requires developers to start disclosing what data they use to train their models. The efforts aim to shed more light into how AI models work and prevent future catastrophic disasters. https://apnews.com/article/california-ai-election-deepfakes-safety-regulations-eb6bbc80e346744dbb250f931ebca9f3

While it is wrong to produce pornography, via deepfakes, AI, etc. legislation against that will not stop it.

The use of Artificial Intelligence programs by the masses is increasing–and AI can help build more convincing “deepfakes”.

Deep fakes have contributed to destroying various lives as CBS reported the following:

Deepfake nude images of teen girls prompt action from parents, lawmakers: “AI pandemic”

December 4, 2023

A mother and her 14-year-old daughter are advocating for better protections for victims after AI-generated nude images of the teen and other female classmates were circulated at a high school in New Jersey.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, officials are investigating an incident involving a teenage boy who allegedly used artificial intelligence to create and distribute similar images of other students – also teen girls – that attend a high school in suburban Seattle, Washington.

The disturbing cases have put a spotlight yet again on explicit AI-generated material that overwhelmingly harms women and children and is booming online at an unprecedented rate. According to an analysis by independent researcher Genevieve Oh that was shared with The Associated Press, more than 143,000 new deepfake videos were posted online this year, which surpasses every other year combined. …

“AI pandemic”

The problem with deepfakes isn’t new, but experts say it’s getting worse as the technology to produce it becomes more available and easier to use. Researchers have been sounding the alarm this year on the explosion of AI-generated child sexual abuse material using depictions of real victims or virtual characters. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deepfake-nude-images-teen-girls-action-parents-lawmakers-ai-pandemic/

This is terrible and should not happen. It is to be denounced:

1 Cry aloud, spare not;
Lift up your voice like a trumpet;
Tell My people their transgression,
And the house of Jacob their sins.  (Isaiah 58:1)

As Western culture has becoming more accepting of the promotion of pornography, this development is not a surprise.

The Apostle Paul warned:

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, .. 13 … evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:1-4,13)

Having nude deepfakes and/or videos of sexual acts with them is more than just embarrassing to the teenage girl victims, it is traumatizing and can result in them being sexually harassed and bullied–as well as likely increasing the chance they may be sexually assaulted.

Anyway, the use of such fakes is wrong–but not surprising in this age–plus the idea of fakes is warned of in scripture.

In the first century, the Apostle Paul wrote:

1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2, NKJV)

Apparently, the Apostle Paul had to deal with some who faked a letter claiming it was from him as well as reports he said things he did not say. So, he warned Christians about that.

But that, of course, did not stop the fakes.

Various false gospels came out in the 2nd century (for some details, see also Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete?).

In the late 2nd/early 3rd century, a Church of God leader known as  Serapion of Antioch used the term pseudepigrapha to warn against something falsely called the Gospel of Peter (Peter did not write it; for more details, see also Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete?).

We have warned about the emergence of deepfakes for some time now. Back in 2021, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

13:27

Lies and Deepfakes

Jesus taught that God’s prophets would be reviled and spoken evil of. He also warned that the devil was a liar that worked to take the word of God away from those who heard it. The Apostle Paul warned that “evil men and seducers would wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13, KJV). He also warned that letters purported from him with false messages were an issue. COG leader Serapion of Antioch denounced a gospel falsely attributed to the Apostle Peter as pseudepigrapha. With the internet, lies can spread faster than before. With technology, like artificial intelligence, can we expect to see deepfakes that will make it look like Christian leaders say or do things that they did not? Do you, “prove all things” so you will not fall from the coming increased deceit? Will YOU hold fast to that which is good or be one who “loves and practices a lie’? Dr. Thiel refers to aspects of modern technology and various scriptures to warn Christians to not be misled by what is coming.

Here is a link to the video: Lies and Deepfakes.

Scammers have already attempted to use a deep fake to pretend to be me contacting others over Facebook in December 2023 (see No, Bob Thiel does not have a new Facebook page–the deepfake is not me) as well as in 2024. That said, I learned later that type of fake solicitation is called “catfishing.” But, it is still a lie.

But fakes are often accurate enough that many accept them.

Last year, I was presented with what I considered to be a “deepfake” computer-conversation that I was able to determine could not have happened as it was presented to myself and others. Sadly, however, some preferred to believe the lie.

The Bible warns against:

15 … whoever loves and practices a lie. (Revelation 22:15)

With modern technology, highly persuasive deceit is possible–and to a degree impossible in Paul’s, and later Serapion’s, day. But Paul warned Christians to have assurance in true biblical teachers.

The Apostle Paul also taught:

21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV)

Once you have proven the truth, you need to hold fast to it so you will not be deceived like others. Or tossed to and fro by every wind purporting to be true, “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Ephesians 4:14, NKJV).

Also, this year, there was another pretending to be me on the internet.

The Apostle Paul warned about those who were “slanderers” in the last days, and that certainly would include those who produce deepfakes church leaders, teenage girls and other women.

Those type of deepfakes are horrible.

California’s attempt to stop some of this has some potential benefits, but 1) it does not go far enough and 2) there is unlikely to be sufficient enforcement to stop it.

The Bible warns:

11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. (Ecclesiastes 8:11)

Therefore, since enforcement will be limited, those who believe that they can profit financially or otherwise from deepfakes will continue to develop them.

Furthermore, putting legislative curbs on AI will not stop developers outside of California.

That said, the time is coming when those associated with the future European Beast power will make deepfakes as it pleases them, and likely also of God’s two witnesses.

That is consistent with the following from the Apostle Paul:

 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves (Acts 29:29-30)

Some supporters of the coming Beast will betray the faithful as is foretold in Daniel 11:32-24.

Deep fakes and AI will likely be used.

If you will have proved all things (like that God’s prophets, such as the two witnesses, are really God’s witnesses) and have a real love of the truth, you will not fall for deep fakes. Yet, most people will believe lies (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

Pray, as Jesus said to be accounted worthy to escape what is coming (Luke 21:36 and for God’s Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10).

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This entry was posted on Sunday, September 1st, 2024 at 4:00 pm and is filed under Prophecy.

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