Increasingly, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deepfake technology is making it easier to create fake videos, voice recordings, and photos that look like real people and events. This is happening across sectors and media, but it can be particularly damaging in elections. Bad actors can create fake videos, photos, and recordings that imply falsehoods about political candidates and can impact election outcomes.
Currently, Louisiana law prohibits the misrepresentation of political candidates to protect the ability for voters to vote for candidates of choice.
Senate Bill 97 would update political advertising regulations by explicitly prohibiting the undisclosed use of “deep fake” technology, artificial intelligence, or other similar tools that can be used to impersonate a candidate, employee, or other person with the intention of misleading voters. If political communications utilize the technologies to misrepresent a candidate, the communication must state that the message will use those technologies before the audio or visual is presented.
The proposed legislation would also prohibit a false depiction or representation of a candidate in materials that would be distributed to voters.
Power Coalition is in support of this proposed legislation because we know that election and candidate mis-information and dis-information have been rampant in recent elections.
The fast development of AI and deepfake technologies have made it easier than ever to spread false information to voters and influence elections.
Updating definitions and prohibiting the use of this technology without informing voters is an important step to ensuring that voters have accurate information headed into the voting booth.