Congress must act fast to avert threats to U.S. elections posed by deceptive artificial intelligence
The Challenge
2024 will be the first American presidential election year in which AI-generated content is widely available. Deepfakes could mislead voters about where, when, and how to vote, or inaccurately portray a candidate making controversial statements or participating in scandalous activity. The threat is not theoretical: During the 2024 New Hampshire primary, voters were targeted by deepfake AI robocall messages discouraging them from voting.
Many businesses have made large investments in employee voter registration and civic engagement programs — all of which could be undermined if AI sows confusion and doubt about elections.
State legislatures have taken the lead, with more than 100 bills in the works. Red and blue states alike have enacted laws requiring that AI-generated election advertisements and content include disclaimers. While state action is important, it creates a patchwork of rules, resulting in gaps and vulnerabilities.
Congress must act to create a national standard to ensure voters get accurate information about federal candidates.
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
“AI can have serious consequences for our democracy and we must work with urgency to put guardrails in place… Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, no one wants to see fake ads or robocalls where you cannot even tell if it’s your candidate or not.”
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO)
“We must protect the right of Americans to vote without being controlled or manipulated by artificial intelligence companies. Elections belong to the people, not the tech companies.”
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
“Congress has a responsibility to carefully consider and address the challenges associated with artificial intelligence… This bill would strengthen the integrity of our elections while also protecting First Amendment rights. I will continue to work to advance this important bipartisan legislation.”
Chris Coons (D-DE)
“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... I’m proud to have worked across the aisle to introduce legislation to safeguard federal elections by restricting the use of AI-generated content.”
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
"As we navigate new technology, like AI, we should have confidence that what we are hearing and seeing—especially when it comes to our elections—is factual, and real. Our bill only requires a disclaimer when political ads use AI in a significant way – something I think we can all agree we’d like to know."
Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)
“We are already seeing political advertisements making use of new AI tools, with huge implications for our democracyThis bill will bring more transparency and accountability to our elections by informing voters when AI is being used in political ads – an important step toward aligning its use with our democratic values.”
Businesses taking action to support federal legislation to protect elections from deceptive AI
Congress is currently considering critical bipartisan legislation in advance of the 2024 election.
Business for America is mobilizing businesses and business associations to join our sign-on letter to support the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act (S.2770). Co-sponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Josh Hawley (R-MO), this bill would ban purposely misleading AI-generated audio and visual media of a federal candidate in political ads, with exceptions for parody and satire.
Our advocacy efforts include a sign-on letter, visits with lawmakers, statements of support, and more. Please join Business for America and civic-minded businesses by signing our letter urging Congress to pass this legislation to combat deceptive AI in our elections.
To learn more and read our policy brief for business, contact us.
Signatories
Business signatory list coming soon!
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