Governor Gavin Newsom Signs AB-2655 Banning AI-Generated Election Memes

Sep 18, 2024, 01:50 AM

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed bill AB-2655, known as the Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024. The legislation mandates social media companies to ban election-related memes created with artificial intelligence (AI). This move aims to combat misinformation and disinformation as AI technology advances. The bill specifically targets 'election communications that contain materially deceptive content,' and could potentially impact content from political campaigns, including those of high-profile figures like Kamala Harris. The legislation has sparked debate, with some critics arguing it infringes on free speech. Additionally, Rep. Adam Schiff has introduced a bipartisan AI Ads Act to address misinformation in the next 49 days.