AI technology is rapidly integrating into physical devices that can perceive, learn, and adapt in real time, but existing U.S. regulations are inadequate to address the unique challenges posed by these products. As a result, AI-enabled devices remain largely unregulated, creating risks for users and blurring the lines between software and hardware oversight.
The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the digital landscape, amplifying existing online harms and introducing new safety risks, particularly through the use of deepfakes. A safety by design governance approach is necessary to address these AI-facilitated online harms by establishing interventions at various stages of the online harm lifecycle.
Scholars explore the evolving capabilities of deepfakes and propose regulatory methods to address their potential harm. The TAKE IT DOWN Act, enacted on May 19, 2025, criminalizes the distribution of nonconsensual intimate images, including those generated using artificial intelligence.