Gov. Bill Lee signed the ELVIS Act into law on Thursday, making Tennessee the first state to ensure likeness, voice and image protections for individuals as artificial intelligence technology continues to advance.

In addition to adding “voice” to already existing protections for Tennesseans, the act is the first in the nation to include language-granting protections from “an algorithm, software, tool or other technology, service or device.” With the state being known for its music industry, the governor and other state legislators emphasized the importance of the law giving further legal protections for artists and songwriters.

The bill passed both the Tennessee House and Senate unanimously at the beginning of March.

Technology experts have said when states begin to enact laws piecemeal like this it can affect the work of AI-focused tech companies, and legal experts agree it will be important to have federal guardrails guiding the technology as it continues to progress. But both acknowledge that tech often moves faster than legislators can act (read more here).

A draft bill called the No Fakes Act has been circulated in the U.S. Senate, supported by Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn, but has not yet been filed. The No AI Fraud Act has been filed by Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar in the U.S. House, but it has yet to move through a committee meeting.

The Human Artistry Campaign, an initiative for keeping human creativity as part of responsible AI advancement, issued a release celebrating the signing of Tennessee’s law on Thursday.

“The Nashville Songwriters Association International was proud to play a role in its adoption and we hope this becomes a template for similar federal legislation and a starting point for other important protections for creators when it comes to AI,” Bart Herbison, NSAI executive director and a member of the Human Artistry Campaign, said in the release.

Music industry titans such as Luke Bryan, Natalie Grant and Chris Janson were also at the signing alongside House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin).

Recording Industry Association of America Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier said in the release: “This incredible result once again shows that when the music community stands together, there's nothing we can't do. We applaud Tennessee's swift and thoughtful bipartisan leadership against unconsented AI deepfakes and voice clones and look forward to additional states and the U.S. Congress moving quickly to protect the unique humanity and individuality of all Americans.”

This story was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.