Meta’s announcement follows letter from Klobuchar and Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) expressing concern about AI-generated political ads on Meta’s social media platforms
Klobuchar leads legislation to require a disclaimer on ads that use images or video generated by AI and ban materially deceptive AI-generated content in political ads
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over federal elections, released the statement below following Meta’s announcement that the company will bar the use of its generative AI tools in political ads and ads in other regulated industries. Meta’s announcement follows an October 5 letter that Senator Klobuchar and Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) sent to the CEOs of Meta Platforms, Inc. and X Corp seeking information on how their organizations are addressing AI-generated content in political ads hosted on their social media platforms.
“Deceptive AI has the potential to upend our democracy, making voters question whether videos they are seeing of candidates are real or fake. This decision by Meta is a step in the right direction, but we can’t rely on voluntary commitments alone. I’m continuing to push to pass stronger disclosure laws that account for AI-manipulated content in campaign ads, as well as to ban deceptive AI-generated content in our elections and counter the spread of election-related disinformation.”
Meta’s announcement follows Google’s announcement in September that it will require disclosures on AI-generated content in political ads.
Klobuchar has led efforts to address the threat of misleading AI-generated content in our elections.
In October, Klobuchar and Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) sent a letter to the CEOs of Meta Platforms, Inc. and X Corp., Mark Zuckerberg and Linda Yaccarino, respectively, seeking information on how their organizations are addressing AI-generated content in political ads hosted on their social media platforms.
In September, Klobuchar and Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law; Chris Coons (D-DE), Chair of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property; and Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and former Chair of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation to ban the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate materially deceptive content falsely depicting federal candidates in political ads to influence federal elections. This legislation has also been cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE).
In May, Klobuchar and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the REAL Political Ads Act. This legislation would require a disclaimer on political ads that use images or video generated by artificial intelligence. Companion legislation is led in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY).
In July, Klobuchar and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján and Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) wrote to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) encouraging the Commission to begin a rulemaking to regulate fraudulent AI-generated campaign ads.
In June, Klobuchar and U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, and Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino for answers after reporting highlighted a significant reduction of staff dedicated to countering misinformation. In light of these layoffs, the senators expressed concerns about these companies’ ability to effectively respond to election-related disinformation, including deceptive AI-generated content about elections and campaigns.
In February, Klobuchar reintroduced the Honest Ads Act with U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Mark Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, to improve the transparency and accountability of online political advertising by requiring online political advertisements to adhere to the same disclaimer requirements as TV, radio, and print ads.
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