IOGAN Act
Latest action (23 Dec 2020): Became Public Law No: 116-258.
What this bill does
The IOGAN Act directs two federal science agencies to fund research addressing "deepfakes"—synthetic or manipulated audio, video, and images, often created using a technique called generative adversarial networks (GANs). The National Science Foundation (NSF) is directed to support competitively awarded research into detecting manipulated content, developing tools such as digital watermarking, studying how people interact with and are affected by such content, and improving public understanding of how to identify it. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is directed to support research on measurement tools and standards for examining GAN-generated content and to seek input from industry, academia, and the public on this work, including the possibility of voluntary technical standards.
The bill primarily affects federal research agencies (NSF and NIST), which will direct funding and coordination toward this area, potentially in cooperation with other agencies such as DARPA and the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency. Researchers, technology companies, and digital media companies could benefit from new funding opportunities or partnerships. Indirectly, the public could benefit from improved tools and awareness for identifying manipulated digital content, which the bill's findings link to national security and societal concerns.
The bill also requires NSF and NIST to jointly report to relevant House and Senate committees within one year of enactment on the feasibility of public-private research partnerships and related policy recommendations. S. 2904 has completed the legislative process: it passed both chambers and was signed into law by the President on December 23, 2020.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Identifying Outputs of Generative Adversarial Networks Act or the IOGAN Act
This bill directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to support research on generative adversarial networks. A generative adversarial network is a software system designed to be trained with authentic inputs (e.g., photographs) to generate similar, but artificial, outputs (e.g., deepfakes).
Specifically, the NSF must support research on manipulated or synthesized content and information authenticity and the NIST must support research for the development of measurements and standards necessary to accelerate the development of the technological tools to examine the function and outputs of generative adversarial networks or other technologies that synthesize or manipulate content.
Timeline
23 Dec 2020
Became Public Law No: 116-258.
Common questions
- What does S. 2904 do?
- The IOGAN Act directs two federal science agencies to fund research addressing "deepfakes"—synthetic or manipulated audio, video, and images, often created using a technique called generative adversarial networks (GANs). The National Science Foundation (NSF) is directed to support competitively awarded research into detecting manipulated content, developing tools such as digital watermarking, studying how people interact with and are affected by such content, and improving public understanding of how to identify it. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is directed to support research on measurement tools and standards for examining GAN-generated content and to seek input from industry, academia, and the public on this work, including the possibility of voluntary technical standards. The bill primarily affects federal research agencies (NSF and NIST), which will direct funding and coordination toward this area, potentially in cooperation with other agencies such as DARPA and the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency. Researchers, technology companies, and digital media companies could benefit from new funding opportunities or partnerships. Indirectly, the public could benefit from improved tools and awareness for identifying manipulated digital content, which the bill's findings link to national security and societal concerns. The bill also requires NSF and NIST to jointly report to relevant House and Senate committees within one year of enactment on the feasibility of public-private research partnerships and related policy recommendations. S. 2904 has completed the legislative process: it passed both chambers and was signed into law by the President on December 23, 2020.
- Has S. 2904 become law?
- Yes. S. 2904 has been enacted. Status last updated 23 Dec 2020.
- Who sponsored S. 2904?
- S. 2904 was sponsored by Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] (D-NV), with 1 cosponsor.
- What's the latest action on S. 2904?
- Became Public Law No: 116-258. (23 Dec 2020).
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