The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) voted unanimously last week to allow election officials to allocate federal funds toward countering disinformation in elections caused by artificial intelligence (AI).
The decision comes after U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) sent a letter in January calling on the commission to assist state and local election officials in addressing deceptive AI-generated content.
[RELATED: Maine Bans Artificial Intelligence Use by State Agencies for 6 Months Due to ‘Cybersecurity Risks’…]
The bipartisan duo’s letter followed reports of an apparent robocall in the lead-up to the New Hampshire primary election that used AI to mimic President Joe Biden’s voice and discouraged voters from going to the polls.
Collins and Klobuchar also pointed to “AI-generated deepfakes” having an impact on multiple Republican presidential candidates by “deceptively showing them saying things that they never said.”
“This unanimous decision from the EAC will help protect Americans from scammers who are using artificial intelligence to attempt to corrupt our electoral processes,” Sen. Collins said Tuesday. “Congress has a responsibility to carefully consider and address the challenges associated with artificial intelligence.
In September 2023, Collins and Klobuchar were joined by Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) to introduce the “Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act,” a bill that would prohibit the distribution of deceptive AI-generated media related to candidates for federal office that is intended to influence an election or solicit funds.
“Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy, which is why I’ve been leading bipartisan efforts to stop the deceptive use of AI-generated content in the election process,” Sen. Klobuchar said.
“This unanimous ruling by the Election Assistance Commission after Senator Collins and I called on it to take action is an important step in the right direction to protect American voters and the integrity of our democratic system, but more must be done to prevent the fraudulent use of AI,” Klobuchar said. “I’m continuing to push to pass my bipartisan bill to ban deceptive AI-generated deepfakes in our elections and counter the spread of election-related disinformation.”
On Tuesday House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) announced the formation of a bipartisan Task Force on AI that will produce a report on policy recommendations for guardrails on AI, while ensuring the U.S. leads the world in innovating the technology.
“Because advancements in artificial intelligence have the potential to rapidly transform our economy and our society, it is important for Congress to work in a bipartisan manner to understand and plan for both the promises and the complexities of this transformative technology,” House Speaker Johnson said Tuesday.
“I am happy to announce with Leader Jeffries this new Bipartisan Task Force on Artificial Intelligence to ensure America continues leading in this strategic arena,” Johnson added.
