AI Fraud Deterrence Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 6306
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-11-25: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2025-12-11T15:20:59Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The AI Fraud Deterrence Act aims to deter financial crimes and impersonation of government officials by increasing criminal penalties when artificial intelligence (AI) is used to assist in these offenses. It addresses rising concerns about AI-enabled scams, such as voice impersonation of high-level officials to deceive others or extract sensitive information.
Key Provisions
- Increased Penalties for Financial Crimes Using AI:
- Amends mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341) and wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343) statutes to raise the general fine from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000. Adds specific AI-assisted penalties: fine up to $1,000,000, imprisonment up to 20 years, or both.
- Amends bank fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1344) to impose AI-specific penalties: fine up to $2,000,000, imprisonment up to 30 years, or both.
- Amends money laundering (18 U.S.C. § 1956) to add AI-specific penalties across its subsections: fine up to $1,000,000 or three times the value of involved funds (whichever is greater), imprisonment up to 20 years, or both.
- Penalties for AI-Assisted Impersonation of Federal Officials:
- Amends false impersonation statute (18 U.S.C. § 912) to include AI use explicitly, with penalties of fine up to $1,000,000, imprisonment up to 3 years, or both.
- Definitions and Safeguards:
- Defines "artificial intelligence" by reference to the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (a law that broadly describes AI as systems performing tasks requiring human-like intelligence).
- Includes a rule of construction protecting legitimate AI uses in satire, parody, or expressive activities under the First Amendment, as long as they clearly disclose that the content is not authentic.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Penalty Enhancements: Introduces tiered, AI-specific punishments that exceed general penalties for the same crimes, making AI-assisted offenses more severely punished (e.g., longer prison terms and higher fines tied to crime value in money laundering).
- Explicit Inclusion of AI: Adds language to statutes to cover AI tools like voice synthesis or deepfakes, which were not previously specified. Updates definitions section (18 U.S.C. § 1346) to include AI and makes clerical changes for clarity.
- First Amendment Protection: Adds a new safeguard in the impersonation statute to prevent overreach into protected speech, which was absent before.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Strengthens tools for the Department of Justice and FBI to prosecute AI-enabled fraud, potentially increasing caseloads but improving deterrence against threats to officials (e.g., impersonation of White House staff or cabinet members).
- On Citizens: Reduces risks from AI scams by making them riskier for perpetrators, potentially lowering financial losses from fraud; however, it may raise awareness of AI vulnerabilities in daily communications.
- On International Relations: Could enhance U.S. credibility in countering foreign-influenced AI hacks (e.g., incidents involving foreign ministers), but might strain relations if applied to international actors without clear evidence.
- Broader Effects: Encourages tech companies and developers to build safeguards against AI misuse in fraud, while possibly slowing innovation in AI voice or image tools due to heightened legal risks.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Criminals and Scammers: Face steeper fines and longer sentences, particularly those using AI for impersonation or financial schemes.
- Law Enforcement and Prosecutors: Gain clearer legal authority and enhanced penalties to pursue cases involving emerging AI technologies.
- Government Officials and Institutions: Better protected from impersonation attacks that could compromise national security or policy decisions.
- Citizens and Businesses: Indirectly benefit as potential victims of fraud, but may need to adapt to verifying AI-generated communications.
- AI Developers and Tech Industry: Must navigate new compliance risks, though protected uses (e.g., in entertainment) are explicitly allowed.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal Implications: Clarifies application of existing fraud laws to AI, reducing ambiguity in prosecutions; the AI definition ties to established federal law, aiding consistent enforcement across courts.
- Constitutional Implications: The First Amendment safeguard balances crime deterrence with free speech rights, preventing challenges that the law chills protected expression like political satire using AI.
- Political Implications: Responds to high-profile 2025 incidents (e.g., AI impersonations of White House and State Department officials), signaling bipartisan concern (introduced by Reps. Lieu and Dunn) over AI's national security risks; could spur further AI regulation debates in Congress without overly restricting innovation.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2025-11-25: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2025-11-25: Introduced in House
- 2025-11-25: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- AI Fraud Deterrence Act — issued 2025-11-25 — PDF (6 pages)