HB 1603: Georgia Entertainment Artificial Intelligence Accountability and Performer Protection Act; enact

Georgia does not currently have a law specifically addressing AI-generated 'digital replicas' of performers, actors, voice actors, models, and other creative professionals whose faces, voices, or performances can now be copied or altered by artificial intelligence. This bill, called the Georgia Entertainment Artificial Intelligence Accountability and Performer Protection Act, adds a new article to Georgia's trade practices law (O.C.G.A. Title 10, Chapter 1) to address this. The bill defines terms like digital replica, likeness, and consent, and bans making a performer's digital replica public without their written, specific consent. It also bans distributing tools built mainly to create such replicas without consent. Consent must come through a contract lasting no more than ten years, with fair pay and a clear description of the intended use. Production companies using AI must publish annual inventories of their AI systems starting December 31, 2027. The Attorney General and performers themselves can sue over violations. The law would take effect January 1, 2027.

• Requires written, specific consent before a performer's digital replica (an AI-generated copy of their likeness) can be published or distributed.
• Bans distributing AI products or services built mainly to create unauthorized digital replicas of specific performers.
• Sets rules for consent contracts, capping them at ten years, requiring fair pay, and barring perpetual uncompensated use.
• Requires production companies using AI systems to publish annual public inventories of those systems starting December 31, 2027.
• Creates a private right of action letting performers sue for actual damages, punitive damages, injunctions, and attorney's fees.
• Gives the Attorney General authority to enforce the law using the same powers as under Georgia's Fair Business Practices Act.

Performers such as actors, voice actors, stunt performers, and models; film, television, streaming, and gaming production companies operating in Georgia; and companies that develop or distribute AI tools capable of generating digital replicas of specific people.

Performers would gain legal protection against having their face, voice, or performance copied or altered by AI without permission or pay, while production companies would face new consent, contract, and disclosure requirements before using such AI tools in Georgia productions.

• Section 3 adds new Code Section 10-1-970 defining key terms including 'digital replica,' 'consent,' 'likeness,' and 'performer.'
• Section 3 (Code Section 10-1-971) prohibits publishing an unauthorized digital replica of a performer or distributing tools primarily built to create one without consent.
• Consent contracts under Code Section 10-1-971(c) cannot exceed ten years, must be in writing, must pay the performer fairly, and must describe the intended use.
• Code Section 10-1-972 requires production companies to inventory their AI systems annually starting December 31, 2027, and publish the inventory publicly.
• Code Section 10-1-973 lets the Attorney General enforce the article under Fair Business Practices Act authority and lets performers sue for damages, injunctions, and attorney's fees.
• Section 4 sets the effective date as January 1, 2027.

1. 2026-03-31House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-03-27House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-25House Hopper (House)

• Yasmin Neal (D, HD-079)Primary sponsor

• artificial intelligence
• performer rights
• entertainment industry
• digital likeness
• consumer protection