Political ads could require AI-generated content disclosures soon


The chair of the Federal Communications Commission introduced a proposal Wednesday that could require political advertisers to disclose when they use AI-generated content on radio and TV 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 ads and will propose to apply these disclosure requirements to certain mediums. In a press release, the FCC notes that the disclosure requirements wouldn’t prohibit such content but would instead require political advertisers to be transparent about their use of AI.
“As artificial intelligence tools become more accessible, the Commission wants to make sure consumers are fully informed when the technology is used,” FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement.
Still, this is 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 a robocall telling them not to vote in the state’s presidential primary. The voice in the robocall, which sounded like President Joe Biden’s, was AI-generated. The two Texas-based companies behind the ad had previously been accused of illegal robocalls, according to the FCC.
Major political players have also begun using AI in their ads. The Republican National Committee released an AI-generated Biden attack ad last year that depicted a dystopian future awaiting us if Biden was reelected. That ad featured a disclosure: “An AI-generated look into the country’s possible future if Joe Biden is re-elected in 2024.” And Never Back Down, the super PAC associated with former Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis, released an ad that used AI to mimic former President Donald Trump’s voice last July. And in March, the Democratic National Committee made a bizarre AI-generated parody of a Lara Trump song.
The Federal Election Commission has also attempted 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 ads. More recently, Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced a bipartisan bill in March that would require disclaimers on political ads that include AI-generated images, audio, or video, “except when AI is used only for minor alterations, such as color editing, cropping, resizing, and other immaterial uses.” The Senate Rules Committee advanced the Klobuchar and Murkowski bill, called the AI Transparency in Elections Act, and two other AI-related bills on Wednesday.
The chair of the Federal Communications Commission introduced a proposal Wednesday that could require political advertisers to disclose when they use AI-generated content on radio and TV 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…
Recent Posts
- Rabbit shows off the AI agent it should have launched with
- Instagram wants you to do more with DMs than just slide into someone else’s
- HPE launches slew of Xeon-based Proliant servers which claim to be impervious to quantum computing threats
- There’s No Longer a Sub-$500 iPhone. Does It Matter?
- Limited Run says potentially damaging NES carts are supplier’s fault
Archives
- February 2025
- January 2025
- December 2024
- November 2024
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- September 2018
- October 2017
- December 2011
- August 2010