OPINION:
What could possibly bring together Paris Hilton, Sens. Richard J. Durbin and Lindsey Graham, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez? That issue is sexually explicit, it’s nonconsensual, and it’s generated by artificial intelligence.
During a January press conference on Capitol Hill about deepfake AI pornography, Ms. Hilton said, “It’s the newest form of victimization happening at scale. To your daughters, your sisters, your friends and your neighbors. A staggering 1 in 8 girls are experiencing the harms of AI-generated deepfake porn.”
Ms. Hilton, Messrs. Durbin and Graham and AOC came together to support the DEFIANCE Act, which would grant AI porn victims the right to take civil action against people who knowingly produce, distribute, solicit and receive (or possess with intent to distribute) nonconsensual, sexually explicit digital forgeries. It comes on the heels of the Take It Down Act in 2025, championed by first lady Melania Trump.
Today, as an adviser to the National Artificial Intelligence Association, I have a front-row seat to innovative companies creating significant technological breakthroughs powered by AI. Although AI is driving innovation across nearly every industry, bad actors can get hold of it, and the impact on victims can be profound. Just as AI technology has grown quickly, so has AI-generated sexualization.
According to a 2023 study by Security Hero, 98% of deepfake videos are pornographic.
In my former roles as an assistant U.S. attorney and inspector general of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, I worked on sex abuse atrocities, including human trafficking, landlord sexual harassment and discrimination. I appreciate that state legislatures across America are considering legislation to address these issues, but these types of sex crimes should be addressed through federal law.
The DEFIANCE Act offers a consistent national standard, sparing victims the burden of navigating a patchwork of state laws with varying requirements and remedies. It also provides privacy safeguards to prevent the revictimization of an individual seeking to hold their assailant accountable in the court system.
Congress and President Trump should act quickly on this legislation. The federal government is best suited to keep pace, address the risks and protect deepfake AI porn victims.
The Senate has proved it is up to the task. Ms. Hilton and I now wait, not so patiently, for the House to take action.
HON. RAE OLIVER DAVIS
Leesburg, Virginia
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