NEW YORK (NEWSnet/AP) — The head of the Federal Communications Commission formally proposed Wednesday a rule to require political advertisers to disclose when they use content generated by artificial intelligence within broadcast ads.

If adopted by the five-person commission, the proposal would add a layer of transparency that many lawmakers and AI experts have been calling or in the U.S. ahead of the Nov. 5 election.

 

Yet the nation’s telecommunications regulator would only have authority over ads seen on TV, radio and some cable providers. The new rules, if adopted as written, do not have an impact on advertising on digital and streaming platforms.

The proposal marks the second time this year that the commission has begun taking significant steps to combat the growing use of artificial intelligence tools in political communications. Earlier, the FCC earlier confirmed that AI voice-cloning tools in robocalls are banned under existing law. That declaration followed an incident in New Hampshire’s primary election when automated calls used voice-cloning software to imitate President Joe Biden.

“As artificial intelligence tools become more accessible, the commission wants to make sure consumers are fully informed when the technology is used,” FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement Wednesday. “Today, I’ve shared with my colleagues a proposal that makes clear consumers have a right to know when AI tools are being used in the political ads they see, and I hope they swiftly act on this issue.”

If adopted as announced, the proposal would ask broadcasters to verify with political advertisers whether their content was generated using AI tools, such as text-to-image creators or voice-cloning software. The FCC has authority over political advertising on broadcast channels under the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.

But many details are yet to be determined – including whether broadcasters would need to disclose AI-generated content through an on-air message or only through the TV or radio station’s public files.

The FCC also needs to agree on a definition of AI-generated content, a complicated matter as retouching tools and other AI advancements have become increasingly embedded in creative software.

There are already examples of political campaigns experimenting with generative AI, from building website chatbots to creating videos and images using the technology.

A bipartisan bill has been introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, that would require political ads to have a disclaimer if they are made or significantly altered using AI. It would also task the Federal Election Commission with responding to violations.

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