California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed three bills aimed at combating the misuse of videos, audio and images created by artificial intelligence, part of a broader effort to crack down on election deepfakes.
Newsom had sworn to pass the legislation after billionaire tech CEO Elon Musk circulated a deepfake video on his platform, X, in July featuring altered images of Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
The governor signed the bills during an informal discussion with Salesforce (CRM) CEO Marc Benioff at the annual Dreamforce conference in San Francisco on Tuesday.
Assembly Bill 2355 will require political ads to disclose whether they used generative AI to create or modify elements appearing in the ad. AB 2655 will own major online platforms, such as Meta (META), responsible for failing to remove or label misleading election content within 72 hours of receiving a report from a user.
And AB 2839 The law prohibits individuals from creating or posting misleading content about candidates and election workers, created using AI, within 120 days before and 60 days after an election. The measure also allows a judge to order the removal of the content and impose a fine. The measure contains an emergency clause – taking effect immediately.
The fake Kamala Harris audio recording shared by Elon Musk reached nearly 140 million views over the summer. In the deepfake, Harris’ voice is altered to say, “I, Kamala Harris, am your Democratic nominee for president because Joe Biden has finally exposed his senility,” adding that she was chosen “because I am the ultimate diversity recruit” as a “woman and a person of color.”
The video included edited clips of past appearances by the vice president, but used an AI-generated voice. The YouTuber who originally posted the video revealed that it was a parody. But Musk stopped short of calling the content misleading, writing instead, “This is incredible.” The post was an apparent violation of X’s rules.
At the time, Newsom fired back at Musk, posting on X: “Manipulating a voice in an ‘ad’ like this should be illegal. I will be signing a bill in a few weeks to make sure it is.”
California has taken the lead in regulating artificial intelligence, introducing a wave of laws this year. Despite fears of overregulation of the emerging technology, analysts say the new laws are a step in the right direction.
“I think it will be positive and it will also encourage people to advertise more on these platforms,” Paul Meeks, chief investment officer of Harvest Portfolio Management, told Yahoo Finance.
“In recent years, all the protective measures have been put in place by the European Union. We live under the 1996 regulation and have not changed it since. We are essentially playing second fiddle to the EU on this issue, when we should probably be the leader.”
Newsom also signed two SAG-AFTRA-related bills — AB 2602 and AB 1836 — aimed at protecting artists from unauthorized use of AI. Last year, SAG-AFTRA members went on strike against major studios and streamers. Artists said victory when their new contract offered compensation for the use of their “digital doubles.”
Perhaps the most controversial AI bill still on Newsom’s desk is SB 1047. artificial intelligence The measure, introduced by Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener, would require AI developers of large models to undergo safety testing before deploying the technology.
The bill, SB 1047, has deeply divided the tech and political communities, many of whom believe it will stifle innovation. Its supporters say it will force tech companies including OpenAI, Meta, and Google (GOOG), to be aggressive in ensuring that new AI features are safe.
While Newsom has not indicated whether he plans to sign or veto the bill, people familiar with the matter say he may side with his longtime ally, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has criticized it.
Yasmin Khorram is a senior journalist at Yahoo Finance. Follow Yasmin on Twitter/X @Yasmin Khorram and on LinkedInSend interesting information to Yasmin: yasmin.khorram@yahooinc.com
Click here for the latest tech news that will impact the stock market
Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance