California Democrats are demanding Congress slam the brakes on the rise of AI-generated political ads, just as they threaten to become standard fare in campaigns.
US Senator Adam Schiff and Representative Ro Khanna have reintroduced the “AI Ads Act,” aiming to ban the fraudulent use of artificial intelligence to impersonate political candidates or committees in federal campaigns. This comes as AI-generated election content grows increasingly sophisticated.
The urgency of this push follows Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton's release of two AI-generated campaign ads targeting Governor Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and Democratic nominee Xavier Becerra.
One ad parodied the “Gladiator” franchise, while the other depicted Hilton battling a “machine” symbolizing the Democratic Party's control over California politics.
These videos came on the heels of a series of viral AI clips produced by Spencer Pratt, a former Los Angeles mayoral candidate. The ex-reality TV figure gained traction thanks to Los Angeles director Charles Curran, whose “Pratt Man” video, inspired by the “Batman” franchise, racked up millions of views.
Schiff, who initially introduced this legislation during his time in the House of Representatives, insists that the issue transcends party lines, despite Republicans seemingly leveraging AI-driven campaign videos more effectively.
“AI-generated fraudulent advertising which uses the likeness or voices of candidates to misrepresent their positions, campaigns, or causes, or otherwise misrepresents a candidate's point of view is not only wrong — it poses a serious threat to our democracy that should concern all Americans regardless of their party,” Schiff stated.
The proposed bill seeks to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act to explicitly prohibit fraudulent misrepresentation through content generated wholly or partly by artificial intelligence.
It aims to expand existing federal prohibitions by applying them to anyone falsely claiming to represent a candidate or political organization. The legislation would also remove the requirement that a misrepresentation must be shown to be “damaging” before enforcement can take place.
This proposal aligns closely with bipartisan recommendations from the Federal Election Commission in 2022 aimed at modernizing campaign fraud laws.
Khanna, who is eyeing a presidential run in 2028, stated that artificial intelligence should not be “used to mislead voters or undermine our democracy.”
Unlike many concerns surrounding “deepfake” technology, the videos from Hilton and Pratt utilized clearly fictional, stylized animation rather than realistic fabricated footage designed to deceive.
The AI Ads Act specifically targets fraudulent impersonation of candidates or political organizations, including AI-generated content used to mislead voters or solicit campaign donations under false pretenses. It does not seek to ban all AI-generated political advertising.
This legislation has garnered support from organizations such as Common Cause, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Campaign Legal Center, Protect Democracy, and Public Citizen.
While over 30 states have enacted laws addressing deceptive AI-generated election content, Congress has yet to establish comparable nationwide standards for federal campaigns.
The bill's future remains uncertain in a closely divided Congress, where lawmakers have repeatedly struggled to reach consensus on broader AI regulations despite bipartisan concerns regarding the technology's expanding influence in elections.
