Scoop: House Democrat's bill would mandate AI disclosure
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) is introducing legislation that would require the products of generative artificial intelligence to be accompanied by a disclaimer, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: AI is improving at a record pace. Experts say disclosure will be crucial to combat fraud or maintain a healthy political discourse.
The big picture: Torres' bill is the latest in a wave of new legislative efforts to regulate AI as Congress grapples with the emerging technology's massive potential — both for societal advancement and harm.
- A bipartisan group of senators, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), is in the early stages of developing potentially wide-reaching legislation.
Driving the news: The bill, a copy of which was first obtained by Axios, would require output created by generative AI, such as ChatGPT, to include: "Disclaimer: this output has been generated by artificial intelligence."
- Enforcement would be under the jurisdiction of the Federal Trade Commission, which imposes civil fines for disclosure violations.
- The legislation is even broader than a bill introduced by Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) in March to require such disclosures for AI-generated political advertising, which has already emerged as a factor in the 2024 election.
What we're watching: Federal agencies would be tasked with filling in the blanks in bills like Torres' on a number of key questions including:
- How often should a disclaimer be provided?
- How would attempts to remove a disclaimer be prevented?
- How would generative AI be distinguished from other types of AI that don't require disclosures?
- How will content generated by both a person and AI be treated?
What they're saying: "AI is the most revolutionary technology of our time. It has the potential to be a weapon of mass disinformation, dislocation, and destruction," Torres said in a statement to Axios.
- Torres said regulating AI will be "one of the central challenges confronting Congress in the years and decades to come," and that disclosure is "the simplest place to start."
- "Disclosure is by no means a magic bullet but it's a common-sense starting point to what will surely be a long road to regulation."
What's next: An aide told Axios that Torres' procedural strategy is to have the "nuts and bolts" of the bill end up in a larger legislative package.
- A sweeping bill is what some senators are aiming for — but Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), another legislator heavily interested in AI, told Axios he believes a series of smaller bills are more likely to pass.
