House Passes AI/Election Legislation

BOSTON — The House of Representatives passed two pieces of legislation on Wednesday to address election-related deceptive media and safeguard election integrity, one of which was filed by state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier.  

 

H.5093, An Act to protect against election misinformation, filed by Farley-Bouvier, safeguards election integrity by prohibiting the distribution of AI-generated and materially deceptive election-related communications within 90 days of an election with the intent to disinform voters or defame candidates. 

 

These tactics have already been used to suppress voter turnout and damage candidates' reputations in elections across the country, she said. This bill ensures the Commonwealth's election laws keep pace with how emerging technologies can be intentionally used to threaten informed participation in our elections, while allowing for satire, parody, and legitimate news coverage.  

 

"The use of AI-generated deepfakes for the purposes of manipulating voters and disrupting elections is an attack on democracy," said 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."

 

H.5094,  Act enhancing disclosure requirements for synthetic media in political advertising, filed by state Rep. Brad Jones, requires that political candidates, PACs, political parties, and campaigns disclose when images or audio communications they paid for include material substantially generated or altered by AI.  

 

Both pieces of legislation now go to the Senate for consideration.