This fall will host the first presidential election where artificial intelligence (AI) will play a major role. From the campaign trail to the ballot box, bad actors have already found ways to use AI as a tool to mislead voters and misrepresent political entities in campaign communications. Federal agencies, like the Federal Election Commission (FEC), are looking at how existing laws can help curb these potential impacts, but further action is necessary.
New federal laws are needed before November to prevent further misuse of AI in elections. In a new op-ed first published in The Hill, CLC Director of Federal Campaign Finance Reform Saurav Ghosh explains why the push for new legislation is so timely:
“Over the next few weeks, Americans will continue to be inundated with political ads every time they turn on their TVs, browse the internet, or open their favorite social media apps. For decades, voters have had to parse such ads to cut through the political spin and decide who to vote for; now, thanks to AI, they’ll have to decide whether what they’re seeing or hearing is even real. That’s requiring a lot to exercise the most basic right of democratic participation, and there’s a genuine risk that frustrated and distrustful Americans will simply tune out and turn away.”