The United States Federal Election Commission (FEC) voted unanimously on Aug.10 to advance a petition that would potentially regulate deep fakes in political ads generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
The petition targets ads that use AI to portray political candidates doing or saying things they did not do ahead of the 2024 elections.
Robert Weissman, the president of the advocacy organization behind the petition, Public Citizen, called deep fakes a “significant threat to democracy.”
“The FEC must use its authority to ban deep fakes or risk being complicit with an AI-driven wave of fraudulent misinformation and the destruction of basic norms of truth and falsity.”
There have been instances of candidates using fake, AI-generated images as a part of their campaigns. The campaign of Flordia Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running for the Republican Party nomination, spread three fake images of former U.S. President Donald Trump embracing Dr. Anthony Fauci.
In the FEC meeting, Public Citizen asked for clarification on an existing law to prevent “fraudulent misrepresentation” in political campaigns and if AI deep fakes are included.
Lisa Gilbert, the executive vice president of Public Citizen said:
“The need to regulate deep fakes and other deceptive uses of AI in election ads becomes more urgent with each passing day.”
The FEC decided to advance the petition, with the next step being a 60-day public comment period, which Gilbert called an “encouraging sign” of AI’s threat to democracy being “taken seriously” by regulators.
Craig Holman, a government affairs lobbyist with Public Citizen, remarked on the public comment period:
“A public comment period will provide a critical forum for policy advocates, experts, and voters to express their concerns about a potential deluge of deep fake ads in the upcoming election cycle.”
This latest move follows the initial petition filing from Public Citizen in July. The petition emphasized similar sentiment, highlighting that deep fakes could go so far as to “swing election results.”
Following the publication of the first petition, members from both chambers of the U.S. Congress responded with letters of support.
Cointelegraph reached out to Public Citizen for further comment on their efforts.
Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield has resigned from the Labour Party.
The 53-year-old MP is the first to jump ship since the general election and in her resignation letter criticised the prime minister for accepting thousands of pounds worth of gifts.
She told Sir Keir Starmer the reason for leaving now is “the programme of policies you seem determined to stick to”, despite their unpopularity with the electorate and MPs.
In her letter she accused the prime minister and his top team of “sleaze, nepotism and apparent avarice” which are “off the scale”.
“I’m so ashamed of what you and your inner circle have done to tarnish and humiliate our once proud party,” she said.
Since December 2019, the prime minister received £107,145 in gifts, benefits, and hospitality – a specific category in parliament’s register of MPs’ interests.
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Ms Duffield, who has previously clashed with the prime minister on gender issues, attacked the government for pursuing “cruel and unnecessary” policies as she resigned the Labour whip.
She criticised the decision to keep the two-child benefit cap and means-test the winter fuel payment, and accused the prime minister of “hypocrisy” over his acceptance of free gifts from donors.
“Since the change of government in July, the revelations of hypocrisy have been staggering and increasingly outrageous,” she said.
“I cannot put into words how angry I and my colleagues are at your total lack of understanding about how you have made us all appear.”
Ms Duffield also mentioned the recent “treatment of Diane Abbott”, who said she thought she had been barred from standing by Labour ahead of the general election, before Sir Keir said she would be allowed to defend her Hackney North and Stoke Newington seat for the party.
Her relationship with the Labour leadership has long been strained and her decision to quit the party comes after seven other Labour MPs were suspended for rebelling by voting for a motion calling for the two-child benefit cap to be abolished.
“Someone with far-above-average wealth choosing to keep the Conservatives’ two-child limit to benefit payments which entrenches children in poverty, while inexplicably accepting expensive personal gifts of designer suits and glasses costing more than most of those people can grasp – this is entirely undeserving of holding the title of Labour prime minister,” she said.
Ms Duffield said she will continue to represent her constituents as an independent MP, “guided by my core Labour values”.