The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday proposed a proposal that could require political advertisers to disclose when they use AI-generated content in radio and television ads.
If the proposal is implemented, the FCC will seek comment on whether to require on-air and written disclosure of AI-generated content in political advertising and propose applying these disclosure requirements to specific media. The FCC said in a press release that the disclosure requirements do not prohibit such content, but instead require political advertisers to be transparent about their use of AI.
“As artificial intelligence tools become more available, the Commission wants to ensure consumers are fully informed when the technology is used,” FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. ” he said.
Still, it’s part of a broader effort to regulate the use of AI in political communications. In February, the FCC banned the use of AI-generated voices in robocalls. The ruling came a month after some New Hampshire residents received robocalls urging them not to vote in the state’s presidential primary. The voice in the robocall sounded like President Joe Biden and was generated by AI. The two Texas-based companies that produced the ad had previously been accused of illegal robocalls, according to the FCC.
Key political actors are also starting to use AI in advertising. Last year, the Republican National Committee released an AI-generated attack ad against Biden depicting a dystopian future if Biden is re-elected. The ad featured the disclosure: “AI-generated insights into the country’s possible future if Joe Biden is re-elected in 2024.” And Never Back Down, a super PAC affiliated with former Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, released an ad last July that used AI to imitate former President Donald Trump’s voice. And in March, the Democratic National Committee created a bizarre AI-generated parody of a Lara Trump song.
The Federal Election Commission is also trying to crack down on AI. Last August, in response to a petition filed by the advocacy group Public Citizen, the FEC decided to consider regulating the use of AI-generated content in political advertising. More recently, Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced disclaimers in her March on political ads that include AI-generated images, audio, and video. We have introduced a bipartisan bill that would require it. Used only for minor changes such as color editing, cropping, resizing, and other non-essential uses. ” The Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday advanced the Klobuchar and Murkowski bill, called the “AI Transparency in Elections Act,” and two other AI-related bills.
