New York Federal Charges Under Take It Down Act for AI Deepfakes

Federal prosecutors in New York have charged two men with using artificial intelligence to create and distribute explicit deepfake videos and images of women, marking one of the earliest applications of a new federal law targeting such content. Cornelius Shannon, 51, of New Jersey, and Arturo Hernandez, 20, of Texas, were arrested Tuesday on criminal complaints alleging they generated the material, which drew millions of views online. The men do not appear to be connected.

The charges were brought under the Take It Down Act, a law enacted last year that establishes stricter penalties for publishing AI-generated deepfakes and revenge porn. The legislation received bipartisan support and was publicly backed by former first lady Melania Trump. Under this statute, the defendants each face up to two years in prison if convicted. Attorneys for Shannon and Hernandez did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

According to the criminal complaints, Shannon published at least 240 albums of AI-generated explicit content featuring female politicians, musicians, and singers. Hernandez’s alleged deepfakes included celebrities as well as private individuals, including recent high...