Several Florida lawmakers are attempting to bring malicious uses of artificial intelligence to heel.
Several proposed bills this legislative session would enact preliminary regulation on A.I., including requiring transparency in A.I. use in political ads and allowing people misrepresented in A.I. to sue. The trend comes as artificial intelligence misuse, whether in the form of sexually explicit deepfakes or misleading advertisements, have drawn national attention.
One of the bills, HB 919, would make it a campaign violation to not be forthcoming about the use of A.I. in political advertisements.
The measure would require the label “created in whole or in part with the use of generative artificial intelligence” to appear on ads where it is used. Violators could be fined thousands of dollars.
Hialeah Republican Representative Alex Rizo, the bill’s sponsor, said in committee discussion Monday that its purpose is to ensure that voters aren’t tricked by artificial intelligence.
“The increasing access of sophisticated A.I. generated content threatens the integrity of elections by facilitating the dissemination of misleading or completely fabricated information that appears more realistic than ever,” Rizo said.
Lawmakers aren’t just worried about the implications of A.I. for political advertisements. SB 1680 would make it a felony to knowing create or hold A.I. generated child pornography and launch a task force to study the implications of A.I. on the state and local governments and give recommendations on future A.I.-related state laws. HB 757 would allow people to sue if A.I. content generated of them displays them in a false light.
The issue is also a bipartisan one. House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell said during a press availability Monday she supports the political advertisement disclosure and other attempts to regulate A.I.
“Artificial intelligence is here. It’s here to stay. And we have to be thoughtful and intentional about how we deal with it,” she said.
