By Adrian H. Halili,Reporter
A PHILIPPINE Senator on Thursday pushed for stricter regulation of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated or deepfake videos, which are being used for fraudulent money-making schemes on social media.
“Those who do this to cheat others must be punished appropriately. Let’s put an end to this practice because most of the victims are our countrymen who have worked hard to earn their money,” Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV said in a statement.
Deepfakes are a form of media that uses AI and machine learning techniques to superimpose faces to an existing image or video. It has grown in popularity in recent years, often used for illicit activities.
Of all countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines experienced the biggest jump in deepfakes at 46 times, according to a report by identify verification platform Sumsub.
In March, the Department of Information and Communications Technology said that it will release guidelines that would regulate deep fakes from deceiving more people.
Mr. Aquino said that he is planning to file a bill outlawing the use of an individual’s image and likeness in deepfakes intended to deceive or defraud people.
He said that the proposed measure would prevent the spread of scams using AI-generated videos.
This followed the circulation of an AI-generated video that featured a popular female news anchor reporting on the senator’s alleged endorsement of a “national platform for inclusive financial growth.”
Mr. Aquino called on local authorities to investigate a video of him allegedly enticing Filipinos to invest in a money-making scheme on social media.
“I call on our authorities to investigate and find out those behind this AI video and hold them accountable for their actions,” he added.
“There is no truth to the AI video circulating where I endorse a program where our countrymen can earn big in exchange for investment,” Mr. Aquino added.
The video claims that potential investors may earn up to P175,000 per week from an initial investment of just P15,000.
SERIOUS RISKRonald B. Gustilo, national campaigner for Digital Pinoys, said that deepfakes pose serious risks to public safety, privacy, and democratic integrity, especially when used for scams, misinformation, or character assassination.
“A comprehensive anti-deepfake law must include key components such as Clear Definitions, wherein the bill should define what constitutes malicious use of deepfakes and AI-generated content, distinguishing parody, satire, and artistic use from harmful applications such as scams, identity theft, or election disinformation,” Mr. Gustilo said in a Viber message.
He added that AI-generated content must be properly labeled with visible and audible markers.
A proposed measure regulating deepfakes must also consider declaring the use of someone’s image, voice, or likeness to create manipulated content without their explicit consent, illegal.
Mr. Gustilo said that social media companies and content-hosting platforms should be compelled to detect, take down, and report malicious deepfakes “in a timely manner.”
“Deepfakes are already being used in online scams where victims are duped into sending money or sensitive information because they believe they are talking to a loved one, a boss, or a government official. This bill is a crucial step in shielding the public from these emerging AI-driven fraud tactics,” he added.
Earlier, Senator Pia S. Cayetano filed a bill that seeks to regulate the development and use of AI-related content.
“This bill seeks to strike a careful balance between encouraging technological innovation and ensuring that AI systems remain safe, ethical, transparent, and under meaningful human oversight,” Ms. Cayetano said in the explanatory note of a bill filed in the Senate last week.
The proposed measure penalizes persons that intentionally use AI to commit fraud, facilitate or conceal crimes, or cause harm with a fine between P2 million to P10 million, or imprisonment of six to 12 years, or both.
It also imposes fines between P1 million to P5 million, or imprisonment of three to 10 years, or both for people who use AI to create disinformation, mass opinion manipulation, or conduct surveillance activities without legal authority.
