Lawmakers propose labeling political ads that use AI

 

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- State lawmakers are proposing a new requirement on the use of artificial intelligence in our elections.

As the 2024 campaign season ramps up, the use of AI in political campaigns is raising some red flags among lawmakers who warn it could spread to misinformation.

A bipartisan bill seeks to address that by requiring candidates to disclose whether any synthetic media, such as deepfakes, are used in campaign ads.

Supporters of the bill say the goal is to help inform Wisconsin voters about what's real and what's not.

"What we want to require here is a disclaimer so if something looks photo-realistic, if it looks like real video or audio, that voters know it isn't exactly real and they should take a closer look at it," said Sen. Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit).

The measure received a public hearing Tuesday before the Assembly Campaign and Elections Committee.

Spreitzer said the proposal has not received any opposition so far. He hopes it can pass the GOP-controlled Legislature and be signed into law before Wisconsin's presidential primary on April 2.

It comes as Big Tech companies like META have already put practices in place requiring political ads running on Facebook and Instagram to be labeled if they were created with AI technology.

The committee also heard hours of testimony on another bipartisan bill that seeks to transform elections by allowing voters to rank their favorite candidate. It's a system referred to as "Final Five" and it would apply to candidates seeking federal office in the House of Representatives or U.S. Senate.

Currently, in primary elections, a voter must choose between a Republican, Democratic or independent candidate.

Under the Final Five model, all candidates are listed together. Voters would then select their favorite candidate and when the votes are tallied, the top five candidates advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.

Previous efforts have been unsuccessful, and the measure is likely to face an uphill battle in the Legislature.