Sen. Blackburn fights AI-generated attack ad
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U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn is fighting back against an attack ad, which used an AI-generated deepfake depiction of her.
Why it matters: A new state law bans such use of deepfakes, making this an early test case of policing AI in political ads.
The big picture: Blackburn's attorney threatened legal action earlier this week against the opaque political action committee that paid for the ad.
- Comcast and Viamedia have already removed the ad, according to Blackburn's campaign.
- State law requires ads to disclose the use of deepfakes if they depict a political candidate. Blackburn is the leading Republican candidate for governor.
Driving the news: The ad was funded by a Virginia-based American Exceptional Institute. In the ad, an obviously AI-generated image of Blackburn appears against the backdrop of a jingle that says, "Our pain-killing pills wouldn't sell, so we paid Senator Marsha Blackburn to pass our bill."
- The group, which could not be reached for comment, spent nearly $500,000 on a Nashville-area media buy to broadcast the ad.
What he's saying: A lawyer for Blackburn sent a cease and desist letter to the PAC and accused the group of making "knowingly false and defamatory accusations of bribery and criminal corruption."
- "The advertisement is not merely misleading; it is a calculated attempt to deceive viewers by accusing Senator Blackburn of quid pro quo corruption without a shred of factual support," Blackburn attorney Brandon Smith wrote in his letter.
Between the lines: In the Senate, Blackburn has supported legislation to protect creators from having their image and voice used without permission.
Go deeper: The largely unregulated use of AI deepfakes nationally is redefining U.S. elections.