Test Drive Our New Site! We have some improvements in the works that we're excited for you to experience. Click here to try our new, faster, mobile friendly beta site. We will be maintaining our current version of the site thru the end of 2024, so you can switch back as our improvements continue.
Legislation Quick Search
Advanced Search
Pennsylvania State Senate
05/20/2024 03:29 AM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20230&cosponId=42007
Share:
Home / Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

Subscribe to PaLegis Notifications
NEW!

Subscribe to receive notifications of new Co-Sponsorship Memos circulated

By Member | By Date | Keyword Search


Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: January 25, 2024 02:44 PM
From: Senator Tracy Pennycuick and Sen. Jimmy Dillon, Sen. Chris Gebhard, Sen. John I. Kane
To: All Senate members
Subject: Protecting Our Elections from Artificial Intelligence Interference
 
In the near future, we plan to introduce legislation to prevent the spread of AI interference in our elections.
 
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) combines machine-learning algorithms with human-generated content to produce realistic images, videos, audio, and written content. While this technology has the potential to make content creation more efficient, it also has the power to spread disinformation at an unprecedented rate through deceptively realistic content. As this technology becomes more widely available, bad actors have and will continue to use GenAI to produce content targeting political candidates, public officials, government programs, and interfere in our elections.
 
A prime example of this occurred during the 2024 New Hampshire presidential primary, when a robocall using the deep faked voice of President Biden told Democratic voters to not go to the polls and vote. 
 
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is considering a proposal to limit false AI-generated political content, but whether the FEC will take regulatory action is uncertain. In the meantime, at least 14 states have adopted resolutions or enacted laws related to AI. Pennsylvania must join these states now if we are to temper GenAI technology’s growing influence, and potential for wrongdoing, in our elections and our political discourse.
 
That is why we are introducing a bill prohibiting the fraudulent misrepresentation of a candidate. Under our bill, the dissemination of a campaign advertisement containing an artificially generated impersonation of a candidate would be prohibited if done without consent and with the intent to unduly influence the outcome of the election.
 
Voters need accurate information on political candidates to make the best and most informed decisions for their families and communities. Please join us as cosponsors in order to help protect Pennsylvania voters and our election process against deception and manipulation.