FCC pushes for transparency in AI-driven ads ahead of 2024 elections

May 23

Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

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With the 2024 U.S. presidential elections just six months away, how serious a threat is artificial intelligence when it comes to politics and disinformation? AI is taking a more visible role in political campaigns and it is transforming campaign strategies.

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The federal government is pushing for greater accountability. Jessica Rosenworcel, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), pressed for heightened transparency in how AI is used in campaign materials.

As artificial intelligence tools become more accessible, the Commission wants to make sure consumers are fully informed when the technology is used.
Jessica Rosenworcel, Federal Communications Commission Chair.

Both major U.S. political parties are utilizing AI, from deploying AI-voiced advertisements to analyzing voter data. The increasing awareness of potential technology misuse — especially in creating persuasive deepfakes — is spurring discussions about the need for more stringent regulations.

The proposed FCC regulations would require political advertisements on radio, TV and cable to clearly disclose any AI-generated content. The FCC, however, does not have authority to regulate internet or social media ads.

This comes as the FCC fined Steve Kramer $6 million for his role in the AI-generated robocalls that mimicked President Joe Biden’s voice ahead of the New Hampshire primaries to discourage voter turnout.

BREAKING: The FCC fines a political consultant $6 million for AI robocalls that impersonated President Biden before the New Hampshire primary. https://t.co/zqDPZR3gv1
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 23, 2024

Kramer, a political consultant for Democratic presidential long-shot Dean Phillips, also faces two dozen criminal charges in New Hampshire.

In an interview with local media, Kramer said that he sent out the calls to highlight the urgent need for stricter AI regulations.

“It’s exceeded what my initial thoughts were when doing this,” Kramer said in March. “I think that regulators realize this is a problem and I think legislators realize this is a problem. Now there is real impact and it’s going to keep happening so that we have real regulations that protect those same people who thought they were duped.”

The Biden and Trump campaigns said they’ve limited the use of generative AI to behind-the-scenes productivity tools for data analysis.

Tags: 2024 Elections, Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, Donald Trump, Generative AI, Joe Biden, Trump Organization

[KARAH RUCKER]

AI’S ROLE IN POLITICS SPURS CALLS FOR STRICTER REGULATIONS BEFORE 2024 ELECTIONS

SEEING IS NO LONGER BELIEVING. AI TECHNOLOGY HAS REACHED A POINT WHERE CREATING REALISTIC IMAGES, VIDEOS, AND AUDIO CLIPS— OFTEN CALLED “DEEPFAKES”— IS MORE COMMON THAN EVER.

WITH THE 2024 U.S. ELECTIONS JUST SIX MONTHS AWAY, HOW SERIOUS A THREAT IS A-I WHEN IT COMES TO OUR POLITICS AND DISINFORMATION?

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS TAKING A MORE VISIBLE ROLE IN POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS,TRANSFORMING CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES.

SO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS PUSHING FOR GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY.

THE CHAIR OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION THIS WEEK PRESSING FOR HEIGHTENED TRANSPARENCY IN HOW AI IS USED IN CAMPAIGN MATERIALS.

[JESSICA ROSENWORCEL]

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

consumers are fully informed when the technology is used.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

BOTH MAJOR U.S. POLITICAL PARTIES ARE UTILIZING AI, FROM DEPLOYING AI-VOICED ADVERTISEMENTS TO ANALYZING VOTER DATA. NOW THE INCREASING AWARENESS OF POTENTIAL TECHNOLOGY MISUSE, ESPECIALLY IN CREATING PERSUASIVE DEEPFAKES, IS SPURRING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE STRINGENT REGULATIONS.

TAKE THIS AD FROM THE NEVER BACK DOWN SUPER PAC — FEATURING AN AI-GENERATED VOICE MADE TO SOUND LIKE DONALD TRUMP — CREATED TO SUPPORT GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS’S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.

[Never Back Down]

“I opened up the governor position for Kim Reynolds, and when she fell behind, I endorsed her, did big rallies, and she won. Now, she wants to remain ‘neutral.’ I don’t invite her to events!”

[KARAH RUCKER]

THE PROPOSED FCC REGULATIONS WOULD REQUIRE POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENTS ON RADIO, TV, AND CABLE TO CLEARLY DISCLOSE ANY AI-GENERATED CONTENT. THE FCC HOWEVER DOES NOT HAVE AUTHORITY TO REGULATE INTERNET OR SOCIAL MEDIA ADS.

THIS COMES AS THE FCC FINED STEVE KRAMER 6 MILLION DOLLARS FOR HIS ROLE IN THE AI GENERATED ROBOCALLS THAT MIMICKED PRESIDENTS JOE BIDEN’S VOICE AHEAD OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARIES TO DISCOURAGE VOTER TURNOUT.

KRAMER — A POLITICAL CONSULTANT FOR DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL LONG-SHOT DEAN PHILLIPS — ALSO FACES TWO DOZEN CRIMINAL CHARGES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH LOCAL MEDIA KRAMER SAID THAT HE SENT OUT THE CALLS TO HIGHLIGHT THE URGENT NEED FOR STRICTER AI REGULATIONS.

[STEVE KRAMER]

“It succeeded with my initial thoughts were doing this. I think that regulators realize this is a problem and I think legislators realize this is a problem.

Now there is real impact and it’s going to keep happening so that we have real regulations that protect those same people who thought they were duped.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

THE BIDEN AND TRUMP CAMPAIGNS SAY THEY’VE LIMITED THE USE OF GENERATIVE AI TO BEHIND-THE-SCENES PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS FOR DATA ANALYSIS.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

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