House Bill 1717, authored by Representative Shofner, seeks to amend the Texas Penal Code regarding the prosecution of offenses involving sexually explicit visual material depicting minors by introducing a new definition. The legislation addresses the emerging issue of AI-generated and computer-modified explicit images of children, which are increasingly difficult to differentiate from authentic photographs (Whiting & Dunmoyer, 2024). The bill modifies several sections of the Penal Code to incorporate the new concept of “indistinguishable” imagery into existing statutes.
Technology
State AI Policy Preemption: Reconciliation Staving Off Heavy-Handed Regulation While Promoting Light-Touch Guardrails
The California Approach SB 1047-style AI regulation poses a threat to US hegemony in the AI race. Some particular concerns underscored by TPPF research include: Impossibly high pre-deployment standards, such as the assurance that there is zero possibility for covered models to have hazardous capabilities. Enmeshing AI into state functions with an explicit goal of...
May 22, 2025