Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Darren Soto (D-FL) have introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation combating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in online impersonation scams.
The AI Fraud Accountability Act addresses a growing concern: AI can create highly realistic deepfakes of people and their voices, which can easily be used to perpetrate scams and other forms of malfeasance.
As a result, Reps. Buchanan and Soto's bill would not only make posing as another person through the use of AI for fraudulent purposes illegal, but it also subjects the impersonator to criminal penalties, such as prison time, fines, and forfeiture of proceeds, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
"As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced, criminals are exploiting it to scam hardworking Americans," Buchanan said in a statement. "We are seeing a disturbing rise in AI-generated voice clones and deepfake videos that convincingly impersonate loved ones, business executives, government officials, and trusted institutions to steal money."
"Congress must act to stay ahead of these threats by modernizing federal law to keep up with emerging technology. The AI Fraud Accountability Act makes clear that if you use AI to defraud Americans, you will be prosecuted," he concluded.
Soto echoed his remarks, warning, "As AI rapidly evolves, it is critical for us to ensure that the technology isn't being misused to cause harm." "We've unfortunately seen cases where it is used to create realistic impersonations of real people," he added, noting that the legislative effort would "set guardrails and prevent these deceptive practices from taking place."
Senators Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) are introducing the bill in the Senate.
Buchanan and Soto previously teamed up in March 2025 to introduce the Protecting Local Communities from Harmful Algal Blooms Act, which would amend the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to include red tide and other harmful algal blooms as a "major disaster," thereby requiring FEMA to assist state and local authorities in resisting outbreaks.
