Today, in a bipartisan vote, the Pennsylvania House State Government Committee advanced legislation that will regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in political advertising. 

“AI-generated misrepresentations of candidates can and have been used to manipulate elections and deceive voters,” said Philip Hensley-Robin, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania. “I’m proud that Pennsylvania’s legislature is stepping in to fill the gap left by the federal government’s inaction on this issue. Pennsylvanians deserve transparency around AI-generated political communications and firm rules that guard against AI impersonations of candidates while also respecting freedom of speech.”  

The bill passed today contains three key components that Common Cause Pennsylvania advocated for:

1. Protections for social media users to ensure that individual users are not held liable for inadvertently or unknowingly sharing AI-generated content.
2. A provision to empower courts to order the immediate removal of fraudulent content through the injunctive relief provision
3. Language to ensure that the use of generative AI in an ad is disclosed, and is clear for all voters, including those who use screen readers or other technology to assist those with visual impairments. 

More information on this bill and the risks that AI-generated political advertising brings to our elections is available here.