A bill that would make it easier to sue those who use artificial intelligence to create “deepfake” images that harm an individual’s reputation is breezing through the Utah Legislature with the backing of a key supporter — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Currently, to win a defamation lawsuit in Utah, parties claiming to have been injured have to show they either suffered actual monetary damages or that an individual’s image had been used, without consent, for commercial or advertising purposes.

Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, R-Cottonwood Heights, says his bill, SB256, aims to fill a gap and give an individual a tool to get A.I.-generated material that damages someone’s reputation, but doesn’t necessarily cause tangible financial harm.

The bill — which has passed the Senate and is awaiting a final vote in the House — gives individuals the “exclusive right” to their image. If someone uses an individual’s image without consent in a way that harms the person’s reputation, he or she can demand it be removed within 10 days and, if it is not, can sue for slander or libel.

“I acknowledge this is new legal territory,” Cullimore said during a recent hearing on the bill. “States are exploring this right now, how to navigate this. But this bill reflects significant input from legal scholars and practitioners. It’s a good-faith effort to address this middle area that’s not really in the law right now.”

Utah’s predominant faith has been involved in crafting the bill and supports its passage.

Absent the legislation, someone could use A.I. to generate a fake video purporting to show a church leader making statements that damage the faith’s reputation and the church would have to show that the video was either used for commercial purposes or demonstrate financially harm in order to sue.

“This bill encourages transparency and avoids intentional deception brought about by A.I. or A.I.-generated images,” church spokesperson Doug Andersen said in a statement to The Salt Lake Tribune. “Using A.I. to give the false impression that someone has said or done something they have not said or done can harm people.”

The legislation extends the “personal identity” right to anyone who has died within the past 70 years and the right extenders 70 years after a person’s death.

There are exceptions in the bill that would allow someone’s image to be used in news coverage, documentary filmmaking, scholarly works or works of parody or satire.

Caden Rosenbaum with the libertarian-leaning Libertas Institute cautioned the bill could have a chilling effect on A.I. content creators.

“This could end up being something where the powerful sue those who make A.I. content about someone else, not because it’s a good case,” he said, “but because there is enough of a case to make the case and it’s more about settling because you have deep pockets.”

Cullimore acknowledged in an interview the church’s interest in the bill, but said it could also help someone whose neighbor posts an A.I.-generated video that hurts their reputation get the images taken down.

And church leaders have urged caution in dealing with artificial intelligence.

In 2024, apostle Gerrit W. Gong acknowledged that some might weaponize A.I. to make malicious deepfakes of church leaders and urged members to rely on trusted sources and the Holy Spirit to guide them.

“Overall, I am optimistic about our ability to use these A.I. technologies wisely and effectively,” Gong said at the time, “and to protect church members and friends from the deceitful spread of falsehoods or untruth.”