Cttee recommends ban on Meta's smart glasses over consent

The Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence has proposed a ban on Meta's smart glasses, which enable covert video and photo recording without consent. The committee also suggests introducing criminal penalties for tech company directors who utilize AI to generate deepfakes, similar to X's Grok tool. They are advocating for the Electoral Commission to gain new powers to investigate and combat AI-driven election interference, as well as establishing a rapid-response protocol with Coimisiún na Meán and the AI office to handle such cases.

Following a fake RTÉ News clip from last year alleging Catherine Connolly withdrew from the presidential election, the committee noted the utility of smart glasses, particularly for those with visual impairments. They propose that Coimisiún na Meán should have immediate authority to remove deepfakes and hold companies accountable for creating tools that produce non-consensual intimate images of individuals or child sexual abuse material.

The committee also believes publishers should have the option to opt out of their content being used in AI overviews while remaining in regular search results, and that workers should have the right to opt out of AI-assisted tasks. They recommend strong regulation of AI within public services and restructuring for public servants to understand AI algorithms.

The report includes 64 recommendations, including strengthening Coco's Law to address AI-generated adult image-based sexual abuse, named after Nicole Coco Fox who took her own life in 2018 after a sustained cyberbullying campaign.