Amid a campaign fueled by concerns over so-called “deep rigging,” the Federal Communications Commission is proposing a rule for the first time to mandate the disclosure of AI-generated content in political ads, though it has not been enacted before. election.
Regulators are slow to crack down on new technology that allows people to use it cheap and easily available artificial intelligence tools to imitate others. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel says the disclosure is a critical and perhaps equally important step toward regulating artificially generated content.
“We’ve spent the better part of the last year in Washington writing about artificial intelligence,” Rosenworcel said in an interview with NBC News. “Let’s do more than a handwritten note and a pearl clutch.”
The new rule It would require the disclosure of TV and radio ads if they contain AI-generated content, avoiding the debate over whether to outright ban that content for now. Current laws prevent outright deception in television advertising.
“We don’t want to be in a position to judge; we just want to put it out there so people can make up their own minds,” Rosenworcel.
The movement was partly inspired by him The first profound fraud ever recognized in American national politicsa robocall resembling President Joe Biden telling voters not to participate in the New Hampshire primary in January.
“We went into high gear because we wanted to set an example,” Rosenworcel said of the swift official response to the New Hampshire deep-fake.
Who was the political consultant behind the deepfake robocall? NBC News reportsnow facing a $6 million in fines from the FCC and 26 criminal counts in New Hampshire courts. The US Department of Justice on Monday threw his weight back A special lawsuit was filed by the League of Women Voters.
Consultant Steve Kramer argued that he only made the ad to highlight the threat of AI and spur action.
Some political ads have already started using potentially artificially generated content in both deceitful and non-cheating paths and general AI content are converted more common in non-political consumer advertising simply because it can be cheaper to produce.
Some of them social media companies have imposed bans on political ads created with artificial intelligence. There is Congress is considered several bills. About 20 countries have adopted their own laws regulating artificial political content. according to to the non-profit Public Citizen that follows their efforts.
But advocates say a national policy is necessary to create a unified framework.
Not only has social media platform X banned AI-generated videos, but its billionaire owner Elon Musk has been one of their promoters. Over the weekend, he and his 192 million followers a medical video designed to look like a campaign ad for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The government does not regulate social media content, but the FCC has a long history of regulating political programming on television and radio. Database Political advertising costs with information that television and radio stations must collect from ad buyers. The new rule will also only require broadcasters to ask ad buyers whether their locations are AI-powered.
Meanwhile, the Federal Election Commission was also like this considering himself AI disclosure guidelines. Republican chairman of the FEC The FCC wrote to Rosenworcel asked him to resign, claiming his agency was the legitimate regulator of campaign ads.
Rosenworcel waded through the interagency tussle, noting that both agencies — along with the IRS and others — have played complementary roles in regulating political groups and spending for decades. The FCC also regulates a broader range of advertising than the FEC, including campaign ads run by nonprofit organizations that do not explicitly solicit a candidate’s election loss.
And advocates point out that the FEC has trouble getting much done because it is by design evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, making consensus rare.
“We are fighting for elections that can be distorted or even decided by political frauds. However, if regulators require disclosure when AI is used, it’s an entirely avoidable dystopia,” said Robert Weissman, co-chair of Public Citizen, who said he hopes the FCC rule will be finalized and implemented “as soon as possible.”
Still, while Rosenworcel said the FCC is moving as quickly as possible, federal rulemaking is a deliberate process that requires time to clear many hurdles and allow for public input.
“There will be complicated questions down the road,” he said. “Now is the right time to start that conversation.”