The 2024 election season is rapidly approaching, and with the rise in political activity, the use of artificial intelligence in political advertisements has become a concern. The Utah State Legislature is looking to quell potential distress by limiting the use of AI technology in politics.
Senate Bill 131, known as the Information Technology Act Amendment, aims to enact disclosure guidelines and penalize the use of synthetic media and artificial intelligence. The bill defines AI as “a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations, or decisions influencing real or virtual environments.”
A candidate or sponsor who uses synthetic media to produce advertisements must disclose the initial creator, or subsequent entities who’ve made edits. Failure to do so under the bill can result in a fine of up to $1,000 for each violation of the guidelines.
In addition to the bill, the Brookings Institute, a think tank that conducts research into education and social sciences, published a list of practices for election officials to follow regarding the use of AI. The list includes tips that ensure humans are included in the loop when it comes to the development of AI-generated content around elections and additional training for these officials regarding the responsible use of AI.
SB 131 was passed by both the state Senate and legislature and now awaits action from Gov. Spencer Cox.
Author: Aidan Mortensen
Photo courtesy of Saul Loeb/Getty Images
Editor: Anna Mower
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