Criminal offenses; enhance penalties for certain if artificial intelligence was used in the commission of.

HB 840 increases penalties for defendants convicted of specific crimes when they knowingly used artificial intelligence to commit them. It applies to offenses like stalking, sexual extortion, child exploitation, and computer crimes. For misdemeanors, it adds 6-12 months in jail and up to $5,000 in fines; for felonies, it adds at least 2 years in jail and a minimum $5,000 fine. The bill also amends Mississippi’s child pornography law to prohibit distributing visual materials depicting children in sexually explicit conduct that would appear realistic to a reasonable observer.