Political advertising may be forced to disclose AI-generated content

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing to require political advertisers to disclose when they use artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content in radio and TV ads.

Note: This image was created by AI for illustration purposes

If passed, the FCC would seek comments on mandating on-air and written disclosures about AI-generated content in political advertising and propose applying these requirements to certain media determined. The FCC emphasized that the disclosure is not intended to ban AI content but instead require advertisers to be transparent about their use of the technology.

FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said , “As AI tools become increasingly accessible, the Commission wants to ensure consumers are fully informed when this technology is used.”

However, this disclosure does not apply to streaming services.

This is part of a broader effort to control the use of AI in political communications. In February, the FCC banned the use of AI-generated voices in spam calls (robocalls). The decision comes after some New Hampshire residents received robocalls urging them not to vote in the state’s presidential primary. The voice in the robocall, which sounded like President Joe Biden’s, was generated by AI.

Major political forces have also started using AI in their advertising. The Republican National Committee (RNC) released an AI-generated attack ad against Mr. Biden last year, depicting a dark future awaiting America if Mr. Biden is reelected. The ad revealed: “An AI-generated look at the country’s possible future if Joe Biden is re-elected in 2024.”

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has also tried to limit AI. Last August, in response to a petition by advocacy group Public Citizen, the FEC decided to consider regulating the use of AI-generated content in political advertising. More recently, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced a bipartisan bill in March that would require notice exemptions on political ads that feature graphic images. photos, audio, or video generated by AI, “except where AI is used only for minor changes, such as color correction, cropping, resizing, and other non-critical purposes.” The Senate Rules Committee passed Klobuchar and Murkowski’s bill, called the AI ​​Transparency in Elections Act, along with two other AI-related bills on Wednesday.