Special to the Record
The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed bills regulating the use of artificial intelligence in political advertisements. The bills would require the disclosure of AI use in political advertisements and would ban deceptive communications about a candidate or about the electoral process within three months of an election.
“As artificial intelligence continues to reshape our economy and many aspects of our daily lives, lawmakers have a responsibility to ensure that AI does not further the spread of misinformation in our politics. That’s why these bills are so important, as they mandate that campaigns disclose the use of AI in any political advertisements, and they ban the use of AI in campaign ads 90 days before an election,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “I want to thank my colleagues in the House for their work on this legislation, and for recognizing the importance of the safeguards that these bills put in place.”
“If you watched the Super Bowl, you saw how widespread artificial intelligence has become. AI is no longer theoretical – it is in our everyday lives,” said Representative Daniel Hunt (D-Dorchester), House Chair of the Committee on Election Laws. “At the same time, the conversation around election security, which has been front and center for the last several years, feels more turbulent and under siege. Voters deserve to know that what they’re seeing is real. That’s why the Legislature continues to strengthen our election infrastructure, and why we’re focused today on setting clear standards for the use of AI in election materials, so we can guard against deceptive or misleading content.”
“The use of AI-generated deepfakes for the purposes of manipulating voters and disrupting elections is an attack on democracy,” said Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier, House Chair on the Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity. “As technology advances at a rapid pace, voters should not have to wade through maliciously altered or AI-generated content to get the facts about an election. The House is taking reasonable and timely steps to mitigate any possible negative outcomes and preserve election integrity.”
“As we approach another election season, we cannot ignore the reality of artificial intelligence being weaponized to spread misinformation at an unprecedented scale,” said Representative Jessica Ann Giannino (D-Revere). “Deepfakes and synthetic media pose a direct threat to voter trust and to the integrity of our democratic process. These bills send a clear message: in Massachusetts, we will not allow deception to undermine our elections. Voters deserve to know that what they are seeing and hearing is real. I am grateful to Speaker Mariano, Chairman Hunt, Chair Farley-Bouvier, and our colleagues for their leadership in advancing these critical protections to safeguard our democracy.”
“Integrity in our elections is essential to our democracy. These pieces of legislation require that the public be notified when AI is used in a political campaign and prohibits the unlawful use of AI to create fake ads. I am pleased to support both of these bills,” said State Representative Jeffrey Rosario Turco (D. Winthrop).