When AI Replicates You, Who Does the Law Protect?

Описание: Artificial intelligence is changing how we create, share and consume information — but it’s also raising urgent questions about ownership, consent and identity. As AI tools make it easier to replicate voices, faces and likenesses without permission, lawmakers in Mississippi are racing to address a growing ethical and legal gray area.


In this episode of Matter of Fact, we go behind the reporting of the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center’s story, “Mississippi AI identity bill advances after clearing Senate committees.” The episode explores how AI-generated content can blur the line between reality and fabrication — and why a proposed state law would treat a person’s name, likeness and voice as a protected property right.


Through voices from the Capitol, academia and small business, the episode examines who stands to be most affected by digital identity misuse. Listeners hear from Sen. Bradford Blackmon, a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 2046, who explains why existing laws fall short in the age of AI and why protections are needed now. Legal studies professor Billy Newman provides context on how traditional privacy and defamation laws struggle to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology. And Sarah Evans, owner of Snatched by Sarah LLC, shares how online identity theft poses real risks for small businesses that rely on social media to connect with clients and generate income.


Reporter J.C. Roberts joins host Sami Jordan for a Behind the Lens conversation about how the story came together, what he learned from sources across sectors and why digital identity has become a community issue — not just a celebrity concern.


The episode also looks ahead, placing Mississippi’s efforts within a shifting national landscape as federal policymakers begin shaping broader AI frameworks that could eventually redefine how states regulate emerging technology.


Plus, in our What Is True? segment, Roy Howard Community Journalism Center Director Nichole Cyprian breaks down why deepfakes are so hard to debunk, how to spot red flags in AI-generated content and what listeners can do if they believe their identity has been misused online.


At its core, this episode asks a timely question: in a digital world where replication is easy and reality is fragile, who owns your identity — and how should it be protected?