WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) yesterday introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, which would ban the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates in political ads with the intent of influencing federal elections.
“American democracy faces novel threats from deceptive content generated by artificial intelligence, and we must take action to defend our system of free and fair elections. That is why I’m proud to have worked across the aisle to introduce legislation to safeguard federal elections by restricting the use of AI-generated content. I urge my Senate colleagues to swiftly pass this bill and to protect our electoral system from the risks posed by unregulated AI,” said Senator Coons.
The Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit the distribution of deceptive AI-generated audio, images, or video relating to federal candidates in political ads or certain issue ads. The bill would allow federal candidates targeted by materiallydeceptive content to have that content taken down and enables them to seek damages in federal court. This ban extends to a person, political committee, or other entity that distributes materially deceptive content intended to influence an election or raise money fraudulently. Consistent with the First Amendment, the bill has exceptions for parody, satire, and the use of AI-generated content in news broadcasts.
As Chair of the Judiciary Committee’s Intellectual Property Subcommittee, Senator Coons has held a series of hearings focused on exploring the impact of AI, proposing regulation frameworks, and ensuring U.S. leadership on AI policies.