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It’s the Wild West when it comes to regulating AI-generated political advertising. As new technology explodes, many are questioning whether we need more oversight of ads made with artificial intelligence. Right now, campaign ads don’t have to disclose if they were created or manipulated by AI, and some Democratic lawmakers are hoping to change that.
Straight Arrow News contributor John Fortier urges caution. He believes any new law that regulates AI-generated ads would “risk sweeping up long-established and legitimate uses of modified images and video.”
Currently, the campaigns, parties and groups that run ads are subject to disclosure and disclaimer regulations where they must state in the ad who paid for the ad, and disclose campaign spending to various institutions.
The current system already polices problematic ads. These requirements allow for robust criticism of the campaign if they use misleading video or messages. Government wisely stays out of judging the truth or falsehood of ads, but the disclosure requirements often lead to campaigns retracting ads or facing political backlash for their messages. While AI will only grow in its significance, we should not overreact, blame it for the ills of our political culture, and be cautious in regulating AI and political advertising.
