SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Governor Gavin Newsom signed three bills on Tuesday to crack down on the use of artificial intelligence to create false images or videos in political advertisements before the 2024 election.
A new law set to take effect immediately makes it illegal to create and publish election-related deepfakes 120 days before Election Day and 60 days afterward. It also allows courts to stop the distribution of the material and impose civil penalties.
“Preserving election integrity is essential to democracy, and it’s critical that we ensure AI is not used to undermine public trust through disinformation – especially in today’s tense political climate,” Newsom said in a statement. “These actions will help combat the harmful use of deepfakes in political ads and other content, one of several areas where the state is being proactive to promote transparent and trustworthy AI.”
Major social media platforms will also be required to remove the misleading material under a statewide law set to take effect next year. Newsom also signed a law requiring political campaigns to publicly disclose whether they are running ads with AI-altered material.
The governor signed the bills to loud applause during a conversation with Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, at an event hosted by the major software company as part of its annual conference in San Francisco.
The new laws reaffirm California’s position as a leader in AI regulation in the US, particularly in combating election deepfakes. The state was the first in the US to ban manipulated videos and images in connection with the 2019 election. The technology and AI measures proposed by California lawmakers served as a blueprint for lawmakers across the country, industry experts said.
When AI increases the election threat disinformation Lawmakers across the country have been scrambling to address the problem, fearing that the manipulated materials undermine public confidence in what they see and hear.
“With less than 50 days until the general election, there is an urgent need for protection from misleading, digitally altered content that can influence the election,” said Rep. Gail Pellerin, author of the bill banning election deepfakes, in a statement. “California is taking a stand against the manipulative use of deepfake technology to deceive voters.”
Newsom’s decision followed his promise in July to crack down on election deepfakes in response to a video posted by X owner Elon Musk showing altered images of Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
The new California laws will take effect on the same day that members of Congress presented federal legislation with the aim of stopping election deepfakes. The bill would Federal Election Commission the power to regulate the use of AI in elections in the same way that it has regulated other political misrepresentations for decades. The FEC has began to think about such regulations after the ban AI-generated robocalls aimed to scare away voters in February.
Newsom has touted California as an early adopter and regulator of AI, saying the state could soon use generative AI tools to resolve highway congestion and provide tax policies, even as his government considers new rules against AI discrimination in recruitment processes.
He also signed two more bills on Tuesday, Protect Hollywood actors from unauthorized use of AI without their consent.
