Several images and videos generated or manipulated by AI have emerged ahead of the US presidential election and have received significant attention.
In one of the most popular videos, an AI voice is used to make it appear as if presidential candidate Kamala Harris is speaking. In the clip, the fake Harris thanks incumbent President Joe Biden for ruining the country. The voice goes on to say that she herself will not be able to stand up to criticism because she is the “ultimate diverse recruit.” The clip was posted, among others, by tech entrepreneur and Trump supporter Elon Musk on his X account earlier this year.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, was among the critics when the clip went viral, and has now signed several local AI laws, including one that bans the deliberate distribution of fake content that could be tied to local or national elections.
“You can no longer knowingly share an ad or other election-related communication that contains intentionally misleading material — including deepfakes,” the governor wrote on X.
Criticism of the law
The criticism was immediate. The person behind Harris’s video has already taken legal action, saying the law “violates freedom of speech.”
A legal expert who spoke to The Associated Press wondered how the law would be able to remove fake content quickly enough, if it passes legal tests:
– In the best of worlds, content would be removed as soon as it was posted. The faster you can remove something, the fewer people will see it, and the fewer people will have time to share it, says Ilana Beller of the civil rights organization Public Citizen.
mocked the musk
Elon Musk also commented on the law. In a post on his X platform, he wrote:
“The Governor of California has made this satirical video unconstitutional. It would be a shame if it went viral.”
The post, which reposted Harris's fake video, had been viewed by more than 50 million users before the weekend.
Other AI laws Newsom signed include requiring AI-generated content to be clearly labeled, banning so-called deepfakes, and regulating how AI technology can be used to imitate actors. The timing of when the laws will go into effect varies from as early as next year, if at all.
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