AI campaign video renews debate over election deepfake rules

A Wisconsin congressional race is highlighting gaps in laws governing artificial intelligence in campaigns. Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s campaign posted an AI-generated video depicting a woman resembling Democratic opponent Rebecca Cooke and portraying her as controlled by Washington Democrats.

Wisconsin requires campaign advertisements using AI-generated content to disclose that fact, but the law does not cover social media posts. Van Orden’s campaign said the video was satire and included a disclaimer, while Cooke called for stricter rules, including legislation that would ban distributing videos like it.

Twenty-eight states have disclosure laws for AI-generated political content, while three have some form of ban on political deepfakes, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Experts cited in the report said the technology makes fabricated political content easier to create and spread, while regulation must contend with protections for political speech.

Read the full story at wpr.org.