Gov. Bill Lee signed the ELVIS Act into law on Thursday, making Tennessee the first state to ensure likeness, voice and image protections for individuals as artificial intelligence technology continues to advance.
In addition to adding “voice” to already existing protections for Tennesseans, the act is the first in the nation to include language granting protections from “an algorithm, software, tool or other technology, service or device.” With the state being a music industry hub, the governor and state legislators emphasized the importance of the law giving further legal protections for artists and songwriters.
The bill passed both the Tennessee House and Senate unanimously in early March.
Technology experts have said when states begin to enact laws piecemeal in this way it can affect the work of AI-focused tech companies, and legal experts agree it will be important to have federal guardrails guiding the technology as it continues to progress. But both acknowledge that tech often moves faster than legislators can act.
A draft bill called the No Fakes Act has been circulated in the U.S. Senate, supported by Tennessee's U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, but has not yet been filed. The No AI Fraud Act has been filed by Florida's U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar in the House, but it has yet to move through a committee meeting.
Legislation protecting voice and likeness from AI generation passed in committees
The Human Artistry Campaign, an initiative for keeping human creativity as part of responsible AI advancement, issued a release celebrating the signing of Tennessee’s law on Thursday.
“The Nashville Songwriters Association International was proud to play a role in its adoption and we hope this becomes a template for similar federal legislation and a starting point for other important protections for creators when it comes to AI,” says Bart Herbison, NSAI executive director and a member of the Human Artistry Campaign, in the release.
Music industry big shots including Luke Bryan, Natalie Grant and Chris Janson were at the signing Thursday at Robert's Western World in Nashville, alongside state House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin).
Recording Industry Association of America Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier says in a release: “This incredible result once again shows that when the music community stands together, there's nothing we can't do. We applaud Tennessee's swift and thoughtful bipartisan leadership against unconsented AI deepfakes and voice clones and look forward to additional states and the U.S. Congress moving quickly to protect the unique humanity and individuality of all Americans.”
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
