Denmark plans to ban sharing of AI deepfakes without consent

COPENHAGEN - Denmark's culture minister will on Thursday propose a bill to ban the digital copying and sharing of lifelike representations of a person, including their appearance and voice, in a bid to crack down on the spread of AI-generated deepfakes.

Culture Minister Zenia Stampe said in a statement that AI manipulated videos and images could lead to misinformation and create doubt about what is real.

"One of the main goals of the bill is to get the tech giants to take down manipulated content quickly so that it causes as little harm as possible," she said.

The bill is meant to protect both the wider public and artists, whose performances and work may not be imitated and subsequently shared.

It does, however, include an exception for caricatures, parodies, satire and other work that criticises society and those in power.

The proposal is still subject to parliamentary approval.

Stampe said she hopes the bill will enter into force around the turn of year.

- Louise Rasmussen, editing by Terje Solsvik/Reuters