Georgia House targets ‘deepfakes’ in political ads

Capitol News Beat Service

In this day and age where Artificial Intelligence can impersonate anything, State lawmakers are taking steps to keep AI off the campaign trail.

Last week, legislation that criminalizes the use of “deepfakes” – ads generated by artificial intelligence to impersonate political candidates cleared the Georgia House of Representatives.

House Bill 986, which passed 148-22, creates the crime of Fraudulent Election Interference.

If it becomes law, anyone who knowingly perpetrates a political deepfake campaign ad within 90 days of an election would face two to five years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.

The bill’s chief sponsor, Rep. Brad Thomas, R-Holly Springs, said the bill aims to protect good political free speech but he said fraud is not protected speech.

The legislation applies to “materially deceptive” video or audio deepfakes but carves out exceptions including satire, parody, artistic expression, and journalism.

It also allows deepfakes to be used in campaign ads as long as they acknowledge the candidate is being impersonated and the events depicted may not have occurred.

Nonetheless, the bill drew objections that it would violate free speech rights.

Rep. Charlice Byrd, R-Woodstock, called it an affront to First Amendment rights – asserting that Ii the process of providing security, liberty would be abolished.

However, supporters of the measure said deliberately spreading false information during a political campaign is not protected by the U.S. Constitution.

The legislation now heads to the state Senate.