Golden State Today

Legislation addressing the threat of AI-powered disinformation to elections has advanced in the California state legislature. Sponsored by the California Initiative for Technology and Democracy (CITED), a project of California Common Cause, the bills passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and will now proceed to the Senate floor.

“In this presidential election and in elections around the world, we’re seeing how AI-powered disinformation can undermine the integrity of election processes and negatively impact voters,” said Jonathan Mehta Stein, California Common Cause’s executive director and CITED’s co-founder. “AI and disinformation, if unaddressed, can be an existential threat to our democracy. We can’t afford to wait for another election or legislative cycle to take action. If Congress won’t act, California must do everything it can to implement meaningful regulation now.”

The legislative package aims to regulate AI-driven disinformation while maintaining innovation and freedom of speech.

CITED’s legislative package includes:

- AB 2839 from Assemblymember Gail Pellerin: This bill aims to keep misleading deepfakes out of campaign ads and independent expenditures close to Election Day, protecting candidates and election officials while respecting the First Amendment.

- AB 2655 from Assemblymember Marc Berman: This bill combats online disinformation regarding elections by labeling generative AI deepfakes and restricting their use close to Election Day.

- AB 3211 from Assemblymember Buffy Wicks: This bill requires generative AI companies to embed digital provenance data within digital media they create, providing information on which images, videos, and audio were digitally created, when they were created, and who created them.

“California is the home base for the world’s largest and most powerful social media platforms and AI companies,” said Drew Liebert, director of CITED. “We have benefited enormously from their contributions to the innovation economy, but now California has an ethical obligation to act in defense of our democracy.”

CITED's proposals represent comprehensive legislation addressing AI and disinformation dangers currently moving through the legislature. The work is informed by research from experts in tech, law, public policy, civil rights, civic engagement, academia, as well as successes from entities like the European Union, White House, Congress, and other states. Independent of industry influence with bipartisan leadership, CITED’s guidance remains free from private agendas.

If enacted into law, CITED's legislation could pave the way for similar reforms in other states and at a national level.