AI deepfake election ad in Minnesota raises transparency concerns A deepfake campaign attack ad in the US state of Minnesota has raised questions around the ethics of using AI in political ads and the regulations surround AI use.
The election season is ramping up in the United States, meaning that airwaves and social media are flooded with campaign ads
Candidates, in addition to the political action committees (PACs) supporting and opposing them, are projected to spend a record-breaking $10 billion in ads this cycle. Some of that is going into AI deepfakes. At least 15 AI-generated campaign ads have run since November, according to NBC News.
Some have used deepfakes to portray a candidate doing or saying things that compromise their campaign’s image. Transparency advocates say the ads, which are illegal in some states, could harm the integrity of American elections. Ad runs afoul of local election laws In the context of campaign ads, AI is mostly governed at the state level.