BFA calls on Congress to pass the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act

Today Business for America sent a sign-on letter to key Senate and House offices calling for the passage of the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act (S.2770 and H.R.8344).

This bipartisan legislation, cosponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Josh Hawley (R-MO), would ban the knowing distribution of materially deceptive AI-generated audio or visual media of a federal candidate with the intent to influence an election or solicit funds, while allowing First Amendment exceptions for parody, satire, and news broadcasts. The bill would establish legal recourse for federal candidates to respond to misleading content.

The risk of malign actors using artificial intelligence to deliberately deceive voters is becoming a larger issue. Easily accessible technology tools enable anyone — whether a state actor, political organization, or lone activist — to generate candidate deepfakes and false election information. Such content can reach millions of voters online and undermine the integrity of our elections.

While AI-generated deepfakes did not prove as significant in the 2024 election as feared, the threat of deceptive AI against public confidence in our elections is ongoing. The impact of AI is likely to balloon in coming elections as the technology improves and its usage grows. We urge the 119th Congress to take action on this legislation in 2025.

“Businesses want our employees to be active, informed voters. Generative AI has supercharged the creation of deceptive content, leaving voters to decipher fact from fiction. This undercuts business efforts to increase civic engagement and election trust,” said Richard Eidlin, national policy director at Business for America.

To learn more about BFA’s efforts on AI legislation, visit bfa.us/ai.