As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to expand, U.S. lawmakers are speaking out about the potential threat it poses to the integrity of elections. In a recent statement, Secretary of State Steve Simon warned, “Make no mistake, A.I. and deep fakes in particular are a huge challenge to the administration of elections.”
Deepfakes, a type of AI that creates convincing fake images, audio, and videos, have become a growing concern. Senator Amy Klobuchar explained, “That’s why we call it deep fake. It’s not the real person. It’s going to confuse voters.”
In August, Minnesota passed a law criminalizing the use of deepfake technology to influence elections and create sex-related content. However, some lawmakers believe federal action is necessary to combat this issue. “We have no doubt there’ll be some use of A.I. in campaigns. You think they’re your candidate or the opposing candidate saying something, and they’re not at all. That’s where you get into a danger zone when it comes to democracy,” Senator Klobuchar stated.
In response to this concern, Klobuchar and other lawmakers have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at banning the use of deceptive content created by A.I. in federal election campaigns.