The Punjab government has proposed a new legislation to safeguard entertainers against the rampant use of artificial intelligence in the entertainment sector.
The draft Punjab Performers’ Digital Identity and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Protection Act, 2026 aims to protect the voices, faces, likenesses, and other digital forms of artists’ identity from unauthorised use by artificial intelligence.
The proposed bill would allow a person’s voice, face and digital identity to be considered protected intellectual property.
The law would ban the use of AI technologies for voice cloning, deepfakes, fake endorsements, political messaging, or digital replicas without the explicit consent of the performer.
The proposed framework mandates that producers, studios, and other entities must seek both explicit and voluntary consent to generate or utilise any AI performance before that can happen.
It also requires transparency when utilising AI in the creation of content.
Penalties for any offenders include three years’ imprisonment and fines of millions of rupees.
The draft also suggests the establishment of a Digital Rights Registry and a specific regulatory framework to safeguard the rights of the performers in the long run.
There would also be a need to have a separate agreement regarding compensation for performances created with the help of AI.
A special safeguard is made for performers under 18, and for artists who have passed away, their digital identities will be protected for 25 years.
The bill comes as part of a series of worries in the Pakistani entertainment sector regarding clauses in contracts regarding AI.
According to actress Hira Tareen, a contract, she had read, gave the power to transfer the ownership of her digital likeness, which included her voice, face and gestures, indefinitely, which sparked widespread attention.
Her revelation raised concerns for artists, including many who said they had come across such conditions in the agreements they’ve recently signed.
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