FCC Considers Mandating AI-Generated Disclosures for Political Ads

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering forcing political ads to disclose if they feature AI-generated content.

The agency announced that FCC chairman Jessica Rosenworcel is mulling over a proposal that would require political ads on radio and TV to disclose if they contain materials altered by AI.

The proposed rule would apply to advertisements from individual candidates and ads issued by political parties.

The agency says the idea behind the proposal is that consumers have a right to know when AI tools are used in political ads ahead of the upcoming presidential election.

“As AI tools become more accessible, the Commission wants to make sure

consumers are fully informed when the technology is used,” said Rosenworcel. “Today, I’ve shared with my colleagues a proposal that makes clear consumers have a right to know when AI tools are being used in the political ads they see and I hope they swiftly act on this Issue.”

The FCC seeks stakeholder comments on defining AI-generated content and whether the disclosure rules should be applied to broadcasters and cable operators.

The rule would not bar political ads from featuring AI-generated content, with the agency admitting it expects AI to “play a substantial role in the creation of political ads in 2024 and beyond.”

Related:AI Poses Threat to Presidential Election Warns FBI, Department of Justice

“The use of AI-generated content in political ads also creates a potential for providing

deceptive information to voters, in particular, the potential use of deepfakes – altered images, videos or audio recordings that depict people doing or saying things that did not actually do or say, or events that did not actually occur,” the agency warned.

The FCC has, however, banned all robocalls using AI-generated voices after a fake President Biden called New Hampshire voters trying to dissuade them from voting in the presidential primary earlier this year.

The agency proposed a $6 million fine for the person who created that robocall.

Numerous examples of AI-generated political ads have already emerged.

During the early stages of the Republican primaries, the Ron DeSantis campaign team used AI-generated images of former President Donald Trump embracing Dr. Fauci in a political attack ad last summer.

The Republican Party also previously posted a video containing a series of AI-generated images of what America would look like if Joe Biden is re-elected in 2024.

UC Berkeley professor Hany Farid is compiling a platform that tracks the use of deepfakes in political ads ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Related:FCC Bans AI Robocalls - Even If No Intent to Harm