Tennessee lawmakers pass bill requiring public schools to show controversial computer-generated video on fetus development

Tennessee could soon become the latest state to require public school students to watch a three-minute AI-generated video on fetal development created by an anti-abortion group.

Tennessee could soon become the latest state to require public school students to watch a three-minute computer-generated video on fetal development created by an anti-abortion group. The state Senate passed the legislation, commonly known as the “Baby Olivia Act,” in a 21-6 vote Thursday and the bill is now headed to Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s desk. Under the proposed law, schools must incorporate the video, or an equivalent, into their family life curriculum. This curriculum will cover topics such as human growth, development, and sexuality through a “a high-quality, computer-generated animation or high-definition ultrasound of at least three minutes in duration that shows the development of the brain, heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal development.” Produced by the anti-abortion group Live Action, the animation, which depicts a baby through different phases of development, has sparked criticism among experts who say the video is medically inaccurate and can have significant consequences. Republican Rep. Gino Bulso, who sponsored the House bill, argued in March the video was medically accurate and approved by a committee of medical professionals and experts. However, Tennessee House Democrats said they had research from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists they believed debunks that statement. “Like much anti-abortion misinformation, the ‘Baby Olivia’ video is designed to manipulate the emotions of viewers rather than to share evidence-based, scientific information about embryonic and fetal development,” the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) told CNN in a statement.