Florida lawmakers target AI in political ads
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
A bill requiring disclaimers on political ads created with generative AI is moving through the Florida Senate.
Why it matters: We're heading into the first major election cycle in which generative AI will be widely available to voters, governments and political campaigns — and the rules for its use in politics aren't clearly defined.
Threat level: Conditions are ripe for bad actors to use generative AI to amplify efforts to suppress votes, libel candidates and incite violence, Axios' Ryan Heath writes.
- The few guardrails in place are voluntary — including those demanded by the White House.
How it works: Users can leverage generative AI to produce an array of content, including fictitious videos or images of public officials.
- After President Biden announced his re-election campaign, for example, the Republican National Committee used AI to create a video showing a dystopian America under his second term.
Details: The bill proposed by state Sen. Nick DiCeglie (R-Indian Rocks Beach) requires political ads that contain AI-generated images, video, audio or text to inform viewers of its use.
- The measure also allows people to report potential violations to the Florida Elections Commission. Failure to include a disclaimer is considered a first-degree misdemeanor.
- State Rep. Alex Rizo (R-Hialeah) filed similar legislation in the House.
Driving the news: The Senate Ethics and Elections Committee approved the bill on Tuesday in a vote that fell along party lines.
What they're saying: "Because of Florida's history, going back to 2000, I believe our lawmakers are hypersensitive to potential election issues," says Aubrey Jewett, a University of Central Florida political science professor.
- "This doesn't stop people from creating pictures that didn't really happen or putting words in the mouths of people that they didn't really say," he tells Axios.
Zoom out: California, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas and Washington have passed laws banning or mandating disclosure of political deepfakes.
- Legislation is under consideration in over a dozen states, including New York, Illinois, New Jersey and Kentucky.
What's next: The Senate Rules Committee must approve the bill before it can advance to the full Senate for consideration.