Texas Tackles Deepfakes in Politics with New AI Ad Bill

Legislating the Future of Political Truth

Amid growing concerns about AI-generated misinformation, the Texas House has passed a bill mandating transparency in political advertisements that use artificial intelligence. The bipartisan measure aims to require campaigns to disclose if content such as audio, video, or images in their ads has been synthetically created or altered using AI. Lawmakers say the initiative is crucial as generative AI technologies become more accessible and potent, threatening to undermine trust in democratic processes. The bill heads next to the Texas Senate for consideration.

Combating High-Tech Deception in Elections

The rise of deepfakes and AI-generated disinformation has alarmed experts and officials across the political spectrum. This legislation comes as political campaigns increasingly explore generative AI to create persuasive, and at times misleading, narratives. Under the Texas bill, nondisclosure of AI manipulations in political ads could be classified as a deceptive trade practice. If passed into law, Texas would join a growing number of states defining safeguards against AI-driven election interference ahead of the 2024 cycle.