Florida lawmakers have introduced legislation to regulate the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in political advertising. The legislation would require political ads made with generative AI to be labeled with disclaimers, with penalties for failure to do so. The move comes after an AI-generated ad supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis used the voice of former President Donald Trump to read one of his social media posts, and another ad used AI-generated images to show Trump hugging his COVID-19 adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Five states have already enacted legislation to regulate AI-generated images and video in political ads, and lawmakers in several other states, including Florida, have filed similar bills.
Another bill filed in Florida would change the state’s defamation law, allowing individuals to file civil lawsuits if content made or modified with generative AI led others to believe something false about a person. In addition to these bills, Florida may also create a statewide council to study generative AI and other forms of AI and their impact on government services, the private sector, and residents’ lives. This council would be required to provide regular reports and policy recommendations to protect residents from the negative effects of AI.