WASHINGTON (KTVZ – Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Alex Padilla (D-OR) — together with Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Peter Welch (D-VT) — introduced Friday the introduction of the Fraudulent Artificial Intelligence Rules (FAIR) Elections Act.
The invoice goals to make sure the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) doesn’t allow mass voter suppression and disenfranchisement. The FAIR Elections Act bans false election-related AI-generated content material meant to suppress voters and prohibits the elimination of voters from rolls until utilizing verified voter databases, in accordance to Merkley’s information launch, which continues in full beneath.
“We should use each software at our disposal to protect the integrity of our elections. In 2024, which means stopping dangerous actors who abuse AI to unfold disinformation about voting to additional their harmful voter suppression efforts. The FAIR Elections Act is first-of-its-kind legislation to crack down on the misuse of AI in our electoral system,” Merkley stated. “As Individuals—notably Black Individuals and different communities of shade—proceed to face efforts that make it more durable for them to vote, Congress should act decisively to protect our freedom to vote within the face of 21st-century threats like AI.”
“No citizen ought to be prevented from making their voice heard as a result of they’re misled by disinformation about how to vote, or due to unverified databases forcing them off the voter rolls,” Padilla stated. “These efforts, made simpler and extra prolific by means of artificial intelligence, are the most recent menace in our nation’s lengthy historical past of disenfranchising minorities in America. We should tackle the specter of AI-related voter suppression head on and redouble our efforts to protect each American’s elementary proper to vote in a free and honest electoral course of.”
The threats AI poses to our elections are now not theoretical: On Election Day in Texas’ 2020 presidential main, robocalls falsely knowledgeable people who voting would happen a day later, making an attempt to trick voters into arriving at polling websites too late to forged a lawful poll. New digital instruments additionally permit people or vigilante teams to file mass voter challenges utilizing questionable, scraped public knowledge and permit the automation and submission of voter challenges.
“Voting is a elementary proper for each American, however components comparable to AI-generated content material and election disinformation allow voter suppression and pose a menace to this important element of our democracy,” Hirono stated. “The Honest Elections Act of 2024 would assist to fight voter suppression by prohibiting the distribution of false AI-generated election info and the elimination of voters from databases until verified. I’ll maintain preventing to be certain that each eligible voter could make their voices heard.”
“Proper-wing pursuits have created a voter suppression equipment with the purpose of constructing it more durable for eligible residents to vote. Artificial intelligence instruments have made it simpler than ever to unfold election disinformation and kick people off the rolls with out correct foundation. The FAIR Elections Act will higher protect the precise to vote, which is crucial to the well being of our democracy,” Whitehouse stated.
“The rise of AI has created a harmful state of affairs the place folks can simply impersonate elected officers and unfold disinformation to dilute the desire of the American folks. These ways unjustly purge eligible voters from casting their poll and disproportionately goal minority voters, whose voices have lengthy been suppressed,” Welch stated. “Our invoice creates essential guardrails round AI use to safeguard free and honest elections.”
The FAIR Elections Act prohibits the realizing distribution of false AI-generated election content material with the intent of stopping one other individual from exercising their proper to vote, comparable to disinformation concerning the time, place, or method of a federal election or eligibility to vote in an election. It additionally protects election officers from being focused or harassed by means of false AI-generated depictions. Moreover, the legislation defends voters by amending the Nationwide Voter Registration Act to ban the elimination of voters from the voter rolls until a voter is set to be ineligible to vote utilizing satisfactory and verified voter info.
Merkley and Padilla’s FAIR Elections Act is supported by Public Citizen, Frequent Trigger, Marketing campaign Authorized Heart, and Attorneys’ Committee.
“AI undoubtedly offers dangerous actors with new instruments to hurt our democracy extra simply and successfully, growing the urgency of a strong response,” stated Jonathan Diaz, director of voting advocacy and partnerships at Marketing campaign Authorized Heart. “If left unchecked, dangerous actors may use AI to undermine confidence in our elections and infringe on the liberty to vote, together with spreading disinformation designed to discourage voter turnout and doubtlessly spurring frivolous mass challenges to voters’ eligibility. Marketing campaign Authorized Heart applauds lawmakers for introducing this vital legislation to assist tackle the distinctive challenges AI poses for our democracy. Whereas there’s nonetheless extra work to be completed on the problem of AI in our elections, this is a crucial step ahead towards a safer, more healthy democracy for all.”
“All Individuals deserve to know who’s making an attempt to affect their voices and their votes,” stated Ishan Mehta, Media and Democracy Program Director for Frequent Trigger. “The unfettered use of automated instruments like EagleAI and malicious deepfakes threatens the basics of our democracy. This invoice would set up affordable and essential protections in opposition to these dangers to be certain that no American’s proper to take part in our democracy is hindered, and we commend Senator Merkley for introducing this commonsense legislation.”
“Those that need to deny Black folks the flexibility to register and vote are wanting to Artificial Intelligence to do their soiled work,” stated Alex Ault, Coverage Counsel for The Attorneys’ Committee for Civil Rights Underneath Legislation. “We are able to’t permit using AI to restrict voting rights by supercharging meritless voter challenges, nor enabling deliberate makes an attempt to mislead and suppress voters. The introduction of the Fraudulent Artificial Intelligence Rules (FAIR) Act exhibits Congress how to put a foot down on despicable assaults to our democracy enabled by this evolving know-how.”
The total textual content of the FAIR Elections Act could be discovered by clicking here.