This bipartisan vote follows Klobuchar and Collins urging the Election Assistance Commission to take action to counter threats from AI-generated election disinformation
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, and Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the statements below after the Democratic and Republican members of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) voted unanimously to allow election officials to use federal election funds to counter disinformation in our elections caused by artificial intelligence (AI). This decision comes after Klobuchar and Collins’ letter calling on the EAC to take action to address AI-generated disinformation in elections.
“Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy, which is why I’ve been leading bipartisan efforts to stop the deceptive use of AI-generated content in the election process,” said Klobuchar. “This unanimous ruling by the Election Assistance Commission after Senator Collins and I called on it to take action is an important step in the right direction to protect American voters and the integrity of our democratic system, but more must be done to prevent the fraudulent use of AI. I’m continuing to push to pass my bipartisan bill to ban deceptive AI-generated deepfakes in our elections and counter the spread of election-related disinformation.”
"This unanimous decision from the EAC will help protect Americans from scammers who are using artificial intelligence to attempt to corrupt our electoral processes,” said Collins. “Congress has a responsibility to carefully consider and address the challenges associated with artificial intelligence. That is why I am continuing to support the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act. This bill would strengthen the integrity of our elections while also protecting First Amendment rights. I will continue to work to advance this important bipartisan legislation.”
Klobuchar, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and senior member of the Senate Committees on the Judiciary and Commerce, Science, and Transportation, has long been committed to combating fraud and addressing the threat of misleading AI-generated content.
In January 2024, Klobuchar and Collins called on the EAC to assist state and local election officials in combating the spread of AI-generated disinformation about our elections. Their letter followed the reports of AI-generated deepfake robocalls using President Biden’s voice to discourage voting in the New Hampshire primary election.
In September 2023, Klobuchar and Collins, along with Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Chris Coons (D-DE), introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to ban the use of AI to generate materially deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates to influence federal elections. This legislation has also been cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE).
Klobuchar is a lead sponsor of the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act of 2023. The NO FAKES Act is a bipartisan proposal that would protect the voice and visual likeness of all individuals from unauthorized recreations from generative AI.
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