Doris O. Matsui

14/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 14/08/2024 21:39

MATSUI AND PALLONE PRAISE FCC WORK TO SHINE LIGHT ON AI-GENERATED CONTENT IN POLITICAL ADS

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Communications and Technology Subcommittee Ranking Member Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), and all 10 other Democratic Subcommittee members, wroteto Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to express strong support for the agency's proposal to promote transparency by requiring disclosure when content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) is used in political advertising on Americans' televisions and radios.

"We believe that this action is necessary considering the growing impact of generative AI tools on our electoral process,"the 12 Democratic Committee members wrote. "While AI is not new, the speed at which we are witnessing the deployment of generative AI is staggering. During this election season, we have already seen AI deployed to manipulate, confuse, and misinform voters."

In their letter, Committee Democrats pointed to recent examples of AI-generated content in robocallsand campaign adsand cautioned that the use of AI is likely to increase as the general election gets closer. The new proposed transparency requirement follows FCC's 80-year precedent of requiring political advertising disclosures to ensure Americans are fully informed about the content on their television and radios.

The lawmakers also write that some of the largest tech companies have committed to help prevent deceptive AI content from interfering with global elections, and some of the largest online ad platforms have instituted new policies to require campaigns and other ad-buyers to disclose when generative AI is used. However, similar disclosures do not currently exist on traditional platforms, like television and radio, and that's why this rule is necessary.

"That is why we are supportive of your common-sense proposal to build upon the FCC's 80-year history of requiring political advertising disclosures,"the Democratic Committee members continued. "Updating the FCC's existing rules for the AI age by requiring certain disclosures when AI-generated content is used in political ads will establish some transparency for Americans. These new requirements will fit neatly within existing FCC, broadcaster, and campaign processes, and will uniformly apply to federal, state, and local political ads."

Matsui and Pallone were joined by all 10 Communications and Technology Subcommittee Members: Reps. Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Marc Veasey (D-TX), Darren Soto (D-FL), Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Angie Craig (C-MN), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Annie Kuster (D-NH), and Robin Kelly (D-IL).

Full text of the letter is available HERE.

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