September 20, 2024 – Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer: Chavez-DeRemer, Colleagues Introduce Landmark Bipartisan Bill to Combat Fraudulent AI Campaign Ads
This week, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) joined Reps. Adam Schiff (CA-30), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), and Derek Kilmer (WA-06) to introduce a landmark bipartisan bill to combat fraudulent advertisements in elections. The AI Ads Act would prohibit fraudulent misrepresentation of political candidates or committees through content generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as well as codify bipartisan recommendations made by the Federal Election Committee (FEC).
“Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming more powerful and popular, and while it certainly poses a lot of benefits and opportunities, it also brings significant challenges that we must address. As policymakers, it’s our responsibility to prevent harmful activity – especially activity that could negatively impact our democratic process,” said Chavez-DeRemer. “Oregon has already taken steps to establish AI parameters for political campaigns, and we need to act quickly to implement such standards nationwide. I’m honored to co-lead the AI Ads Act, which would put in place bipartisan, commonsense guidelines to prevent the spread of deceptive advertising.”
“As AI tools begin to change political advertising in profound ways, our laws must adapt in turn,” said Schiff. “Election safety and AI experts agree – we need to protect ourselves from fraudulent misrepresentation of candidates, campaigns, or causes by AI. We’ve already seen the very real implications of these kinds of false advertisements, and with the November election just around the corner, this work could not be more urgent.”
“Safeguarding the integrity of our elections is a responsibility that transcends party lines. As technology rapidly evolves, so must our defenses against those who seek to deceive voters and undermine our democratic process. Since my first day in Congress, I have made it my mission to champion election reform, and our bipartisan AI Ads Act is a decisive step forward in that fight. Our legislation will shield the American people from the dangers of deceptive AI-generated content, ensuring our elections remain free, fair, and true to the will of the American people. This is not a partisan or controversial issue—it’s about restoring faith and upholding the trust that voters place in our democracy, a commitment I will never waver from,” said Fitzpatrick.
“In an era where artificial intelligence can blur the lines between truth and fiction, Congress should safeguard the integrity of our electoral process,” said Kilmer. “The AI Ads Act, grounded in recommendations from the Federal Election Commission, would ensure that fraudulent misrepresentation in political campaigns, whether by humans or AI, is prohibited. By expanding the scope of these prohibitions, Congress has the power to fortify our electoral system against domestic and foreign manipulators. Our democracy deserves no less.”
Specifically, the AI Ads Act would:
- Extend the prohibition of fraudulent misrepresentation, for solicitation of funds or otherwise, to content generated in whole or in part by AI;
- Revise the prohibitions on fraudulent misrepresentation of campaign authority to encompass all persons purporting to act on behalf of candidates and real or fictitious political committees and political organizations; and
- Remove the requirement that the fraudulent misrepresentation must pertain to a matter that is “damaging” to another candidate or political party.
Full text of the bill is available HERE.
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