Voters face uneven AI deepfake protections

Axios reports that Americans will face vastly different regulations on AI deepfakes depending on where they vote — a patchwork of state rules rather than a consistent national standard. Twenty-nine states have election deepfake laws in effect, but California and Hawaii saw their restrictions struck down on First Amendment grounds. Minnesota and Texas ban political deepfakes only in the days before an election; Maryland imposes a year-round prohibition. Others require disclosure when AI is used in political ads; Colorado and Utah go further, requiring details about who created the deepfake, when, and how it was edited. At the federal level, lawmakers have yet to establish a baseline standard, leaving voters facing uneven regulations as deepfake-generated attack ads proliferate during the midterm campaign.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton