WASHINGTON, D. C. – U.S. Sen. Jon Husted has introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at curtailing fraud fueled by artificial intelligence (AI) by establishing a task force to examine the problem.
A statement from Husted said scammers are using deep fakes to impersonate victims’ family members so they can steal their money.
“As fraudsters continue to scheme, we need to make sure we utilize AI so that we can better protect innocent Americans and prevent these scams from happening in the first place,“ the Columbus-area Republican said. ”My bill would protect Ohio’s seniors, families and small business owners from malicious actors who take advantage of their compassion.”
The legislation that Husted calls “The Preventing Deep Fake Scams Act” would establish a task force to assess how financial institutions can use AI to protect against fraud and identify potential risks associated with abusing AI technology.
The task force would also establish best practices to safeguard consumers from these types of financial crimes. Within a year of the bill’s enactment, it would give Congress a detailed report of its findings.
Husted says fraudsters stole more than $12.5 billion from consumers in 2024, which is a 25% increase from 2023, according to Federal Trade Commission data. Some of the scammers are using AI technology to create emails, phone calls and text messages to financially exploit Americans by deceiving them into believing a loved one is in danger.
AARP, which advocates for the more than 100 million older Americans age 50 and older, has endorsed the bill Husted introduced with Georgia Democrat Raphael Warnock.
A recent AARP study found the majority of older adults are concerned about the various ways AI can be used fraudulently to get people to share confidential information or make financial transactions. The study found a significant majority – 77 percent – of older adults expressed worry that they might personally become targets of an AI-related fraud in the future.
“This bipartisan legislation represents a crucial step towards safeguarding consumers in the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and financial services,” said a statement from the organization’s senior vice-president, Bill Sweeney. “The rise of AI-driven fraud poses significant risks to older adults, who are often targeted by criminals, making it crucial to implement strong protections to safeguard their financial security and personal information.”
Husted’s office said the bill’s U.S. House of Representatives counterpart was introduced by Colorado Democrat Brittany Pettersen.
