California Governor Gavin Newsom On Tuesday he signed a series of bills banning political “deepfakes” and other deceptive digitally generated audio and visual content created with artificial intelligence, fulfilling his promise to take action after criticism. Elon MuskCEO of X (formerly Twitter) accused of sharing a doctored video of the Vice President Kamala Harris,
“I don’t care if it’s Harris or Trump,” Newsom said during a conversation with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff that same day, as reported by Politico. “It was wrong on every level.”
Elon Musk responded to Newsom signing the laws, claiming that the governor had effectively made parody illegal, in violation of the United States Constitution.
They shared a video mocking Harris, mocking her qualifications and making sarcastic comments about diversity hiring and political potential. The video mimics Harris’ voice, but instead of using her actual words from the original ad, it falsely portrays her as saying that President Biden is old, that he “doesn’t even know the first thing about running a country.”
The AI-generated video included statements taking a dig at Harris, such as, “I was selected because I’m the best at diversity. If you criticize anything I say, you’re both a sexist and a racist.”
Musk also reposted a viral post sharing the same video of Harris, saying, “Video of Harris berating California Governor Gavin Newsom is now trending on X.”
“Like when Streisand sued someone for revealing her Malibu address. She actually kept it a secret,” Musk said.
Trump has also shared AI-generated images claiming to show his support among black voters, as well as another image showing a figure resembling Kamala Harris addressing a group of Communists, Fortune reports.
“Protecting the integrity of elections is essential to democracy, and it’s critical that we ensure AI is not used to undermine public trust through misinformation — especially in today’s tense political climate,” Newsom said in a statement.
“These measures will help combat the harmful use of deepfakes Political advertising and other content, is one of many areas in which the state is active in promoting transparent and trustworthy AI,” he said.
What are deepfakes?
Deepfakes are “highly realistic and difficult-to-detect digital manipulations of audio or video.” The term is a blend of “deep learning” and “fake,” denoting a combination of advanced machine learning techniques used to create believable but deceptive digital content.
What are those three bills?
under Assembly Bill 2355Political ads must disclose whether they have used generative AI technology to create or modify any content displayed in the ad. This measure aims to ensure that voters are aware of the use of AI in political messaging.
Assembly Bill 2655 places a responsibility on large online platforms to remove or label misleading election content within 72 hours of receiving a report from a user. Failure to comply with this requirement would subject platforms to liability.
“AI-generated deepfakes are a clear and present risk to our elections and our democracy. AB 2655 is the first nation-wide solution to this growing threat, and I’m grateful to Governor Newsom for signing it. Advances in AI over the past few years have made it easier to generate hyper-realistic but entirely fake election-related deepfakes, but AB 2655 will ensure that online platforms minimize their impact. The new law is a win for California voters and our democracy,” said Assemblymember Marc BermanThe mover of the Bill, Shri.
Finally, Assembly Bill 2839 specifically targets individuals who create or publish misleading content about candidates and election workers using AI technology. The bill prohibits such activities 120 days before an election and 60 days after the election. If a violation is found, a judge can order the content to be removed and impose a fine.
Why is the ban important?
These measures are designed to enhance transparency and accountability in the digital space, especially during elections.
Titled Protecting Democracy from Deep Fake Deception ActRecently introduced legislation mandates major online platforms to prevent users from sharing “misleading” content related to the election, as Californians prepare to exercise their right to vote.
The rapid progress of AI has raised various concerns, including the potential for interfering with democratic processes, promoting fraudulent activities, and job losses.
These concerns have prompted lawmakers to take action and implement measures to combat the negative impacts of AI.
The Biden administration, led by a Democratic president, has advocated for the regulation of artificial intelligence. However, a divided Congress, with the House of Representatives controlled by Republicans and the Senate by Democrats, has struggled to make significant progress in enacting effective AI legislation.
California is the first state in the country to offer artists legal protections against AI technology. Tennessee, renowned as the birthplace of country music and the launching point for many music icons, followed suit in March by passing legislation to protect musicians and artists from misuse of AI.
“I don’t care if it’s Harris or Trump,” Newsom said during a conversation with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff that same day, as reported by Politico. “It was wrong on every level.”
Elon Musk responded to Newsom signing the laws, claiming that the governor had effectively made parody illegal, in violation of the United States Constitution.
They shared a video mocking Harris, mocking her qualifications and making sarcastic comments about diversity hiring and political potential. The video mimics Harris’ voice, but instead of using her actual words from the original ad, it falsely portrays her as saying that President Biden is old, that he “doesn’t even know the first thing about running a country.”
The AI-generated video included statements taking a dig at Harris, such as, “I was selected because I’m the best at diversity. If you criticize anything I say, you’re both a sexist and a racist.”
Musk also reposted a viral post sharing the same video of Harris, saying, “Video of Harris berating California Governor Gavin Newsom is now trending on X.”
“Like when Streisand sued someone for revealing her Malibu address. She actually kept it a secret,” Musk said.
Trump has also shared AI-generated images claiming to show his support among black voters, as well as another image showing a figure resembling Kamala Harris addressing a group of Communists, Fortune reports.
“Protecting the integrity of elections is essential to democracy, and it’s critical that we ensure AI is not used to undermine public trust through misinformation — especially in today’s tense political climate,” Newsom said in a statement.
“These measures will help combat the harmful use of deepfakes Political advertising and other content, is one of many areas in which the state is active in promoting transparent and trustworthy AI,” he said.
What are deepfakes?
Deepfakes are “highly realistic and difficult-to-detect digital manipulations of audio or video.” The term is a blend of “deep learning” and “fake,” denoting a combination of advanced machine learning techniques used to create believable but deceptive digital content.
What are those three bills?
under Assembly Bill 2355Political ads must disclose whether they have used generative AI technology to create or modify any content displayed in the ad. This measure aims to ensure that voters are aware of the use of AI in political messaging.
Assembly Bill 2655 places a responsibility on large online platforms to remove or label misleading election content within 72 hours of receiving a report from a user. Failure to comply with this requirement would subject platforms to liability.
“AI-generated deepfakes are a clear and present risk to our elections and our democracy. AB 2655 is the first nation-wide solution to this growing threat, and I’m grateful to Governor Newsom for signing it. Advances in AI over the past few years have made it easier to generate hyper-realistic but entirely fake election-related deepfakes, but AB 2655 will ensure that online platforms minimize their impact. The new law is a win for California voters and our democracy,” said Assemblymember Marc BermanThe mover of the Bill, Shri.
Finally, Assembly Bill 2839 specifically targets individuals who create or publish misleading content about candidates and election workers using AI technology. The bill prohibits such activities 120 days before an election and 60 days after the election. If a violation is found, a judge can order the content to be removed and impose a fine.
Why is the ban important?
These measures are designed to enhance transparency and accountability in the digital space, especially during elections.
Titled Protecting Democracy from Deep Fake Deception ActRecently introduced legislation mandates major online platforms to prevent users from sharing “misleading” content related to the election, as Californians prepare to exercise their right to vote.
The rapid progress of AI has raised various concerns, including the potential for interfering with democratic processes, promoting fraudulent activities, and job losses.
These concerns have prompted lawmakers to take action and implement measures to combat the negative impacts of AI.
The Biden administration, led by a Democratic president, has advocated for the regulation of artificial intelligence. However, a divided Congress, with the House of Representatives controlled by Republicans and the Senate by Democrats, has struggled to make significant progress in enacting effective AI legislation.
California is the first state in the country to offer artists legal protections against AI technology. Tennessee, renowned as the birthplace of country music and the launching point for many music icons, followed suit in March by passing legislation to protect musicians and artists from misuse of AI.
