MD “to pursue right of publicity statute as part of state AI framework”

Under a Maryland Gubernatorial proposal, Hannah Gaskill reports that Moore to pursue right of publicity statute as part of state AI framework – Maryland Daily Record (Sep. 22, 2026).

The proposal would establish a right of publicity for digital likenesses as part of an A.I. plan. The article states: “The governor’s framework for the burgeoning AI industry, which was released Tuesday morning, centers on protecting Marylanders’ civil rights and the state’s infrastructure; providing workers, including state employees, with a say in how their jobs are impacted by AI; and ensuring Maryland children are safeguarded from exploitation.”

Further, Ms. Gaskill reported: “To temper the industry’s impact in Maryland, the Moore administration in a news release Tuesday said its AI subcabinet is developing legislative recommendations for the General Assembly… in an effort to regulate companies.”

The proposed “AI Framework to Protect Marylanders” is described in a September 22, 2026, press release.  Maryland has an “AI Subcabinet.”

The agenda outlines three guiding principles:

1. Protecting our people: Marylanders deserve protection from new and emerging threats — to their rights and safety, and to our infrastructure, our democracy, and our economy.

2. Centering our workers: Workers and the unions that represent them deserve a voice in how AI affects them — along with high-quality, worker-centered training and real transition support.

3. Keeping our kids safe: Maryland’s children must be protected from exploitation and harm.

One of the many aspects is to: “Recognize your likeness as a property right, by establishing a statutory Right of Publicity. Under current law, an individual whose likeness is cloned must prove harm to seek any relief; the Right of Publicity would establish ownership from the outset.”

The press release states:

Governor Moore’s agenda builds off the standards outlined in his 2024 Executive Order, the Artificial Intelligence Governance Act of 2024, and the State of Maryland’s Responsible AI Policy.

It also builds on a track record of legislation addressing AI risks. Maryland has acted to protect Marylanders from deepfakes — safeguarding elections (SB 141), giving victims of AI-generated intimate images legal recourse (SB 360), and criminalizing AI impersonation (SB 8) — to ensure that final insurance coverage decisions are made by qualified doctors rather than algorithms (HB 820), and to protect children online and in the classroom through the Age-Appropriate Design Code Act and the Artificial Intelligence Ready Schools Act. As co-chair of the National Governors Association’s Council of Governors’ Cyber Subcommittee, Governor Moore is also focused on the risk AI poses to critical infrastructure, pressing for stronger state-federal coordination to defend the power, water, transportation, healthcare, financial, agricultural, chemical, and communications systems Marylanders depend on.

See also Pamela Wood, Gov. Moore proposes AI rules to protect Marylanders – The Banner (Sep. 22, 2026); Moore outlines Maryland framework for AI rules (Balt. Sun Sep. 22, 2026).