Top Democrat Joe Morelle Urges FCC to Finalize Artificial Intelligence Transparency Rule for Political Advertisements

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Joe Morelle (NY-25), the top Democrat of the Committee on House Administration, issued the following statement after submitting an official public comment in support of the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) proposed rule to regulate the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in political advertisements on television and radio:

“I commend the FCC for taking action to curb the spread of harmful disinformation propagated by political candidates ahead of the 2024 elections. Without immediate action, we risk the integrity of our elections being undermined.In a time where truth can be manipulated by bad actors for personal gain, it is vital that our federal agencies take action to ensure that our citizens are able to discern fact from fiction, particularly when Congress remains unable to legislate effectively due to Republican dysfunction.”

In his letter to FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel, Rep. Morelle highlights the dangers of election related mis- and disinformation, and how the absence of regulation of AI has already impacted our nation’s elections.

“This is not a speculative fear. Political candidates have already attempted to manipulate voters by using AI. A Republican candidate for Congress in Michigan used a deepfake audio of Martin Luther King Jr.’s voice purportedly endorsing the candidate in a campaign advertisement, saying ‘I have another dream that Anthony Hudson will be Michigan's 8th District’s next congressman.’ As we rapidly approach November, AI use in campaign advertisements will only increase,” wrote Rep. Morelle.

Last week, Rep. Morelle hosted a roundtable discussion about the impact AI-powered content currently has on our elections. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, Federal Election Commission (FEC) Vice Chair Ellen Weintraub, and George Washington University Law School Professor Spencer Overton joined the conversation to provide Ranking Member Morelle and other Members of Congress as they discussed the importance of FCC and the FEC rules to regulate the use of AI in election communications.

“The advent of generative AI comes at a time when spending on political advertising is at an all-time high and most political advertisements are aired on broadcast and cable television, which the FCC has exclusive authority to regulate,” added Rep. Morelle. “This presidential election year, spending on political advertising is expected to rise by an estimated 30 percent from 2020 to over $12 billion. Broadcast television remains the largest medium for political advertising in the United States and is expected to account for over 70 percent of all spending. Political advertisements on television, due to their reach and the significant spending levels, are one of the most pressing areas in need of regulation.”

Read the full letter here.

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