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San Luis Potosí Congress repeals "Serrano Law" on AI misuse; new regulation planned
🇲🇽 Mexico /Elections & Politics

San Luis Potosí Congress repeals "Serrano Law" on AI misuse; new regulation planned

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • The San Luis Potosí Congress repealed the "Serrano Law" that penalized the misuse of artificial intelligence.
  • The law, enacted in November, had imposed prison sentences for using AI to simulate individuals without consent or to cause social alarm.
  • Legislators will now work on new regulations for AI and digital platforms following public controversy and detentions under the repealed law.

The Congress of San Luis Potosí has repealed the "Serrano Law," which had previously penalized the misuse of artificial intelligence. The extraordinary session, moved up without prior announcement, saw deputies approve an initiative from Governor Ricardo Gallardo Cardona to revoke the controversial legislation. The session was originally scheduled for 10 a.m. but began at 8:30 a.m., catching some legislators by surprise.

The decree nullified Article 187 TER and Chapter V, titled "Misuse of artificial intelligence to provoke social alarm," along with its articles 272 BIS and 272 TER, from the Penal Code of San Luis Potosí. This law, enacted just last November, stipulated prison sentences of one to three years for anyone using AI technologies to simulate a real person's voice, image, gestures, or identity for improper purposes. It also specifically punished the malicious dissemination of AI-generated or modified materials intended to cause social alarm, disturb public peace, or violate human dignity, with penalties up to six years in prison.

However, the law sparked controversy, leading to the detention of several communicators in the state capital and the Huasteca Potosina region. In response to the repeal, Deputy Héctor Serrano Cortés, the law's original proponent, acknowledged the executive's decision to prioritize preventing the controversial legislation from becoming an instrument of societal confrontation. He stated that the issue would be revisited through a new approach, emphasizing that "it is always convenient to correct if the leader of our political team deems it pertinent."

Serrano Cortés welcomed upcoming forums and working groups to discuss the regulation of artificial intelligence and digital platforms. He noted that AI is already being regulated globally and insisted that the now-repealed law had been exploited by some individuals to create confrontation and gain political advantage.

it is always convenient to correct if the leader of our political team deems it pertinent

— Héctor Serrano CortésExplaining the decision to repeal the controversial AI law and revisit its regulation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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