Two charged under new AI deepfake law

Federal prosecutors have charged two men under the newly enacted Take It Down Act for using artificial intelligence to create explicit deepfake pornography.

Signed into law last year by President Donald Trump with bipartisan support and backing from first lady Melania Trump, the legislation imposes stricter penalties for publishing AI-generated non-consensual sexual content.

Under the law, Cornelius Shannon, 51, and Arturo Hernandez, 20, each face up to two years in prison.

Prosecutors said the men acted separately and generated explicit deepfake images targeting female politicians, musicians, celebrities, private individuals, and recent high school graduates.

The arrests mark a growing legal crackdown on AI-generated deepfakes in the United States. In April, an Ohio man became the first person convicted under the Act for using AI to generate child sexual abuse material.