State Legislatures Scramble to Regulate AI Ahead of 2024 Primaries

Efforts Focus on Enforcing Disclosure of AI-Generated Content, with Kentucky Imposing Felony Charges for Violations

US state legislatures are rushing to enact laws to limit the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-generated deepfakes before the 2024 primary elections.
Currently, only five states have enacted legislation on AI and deepfakes: Texas, Minnesota, Washington, California, and Michigan. However, 12 other states have introduced bills.
Instead of banning fake or misleading AI ads, legislators are focusing on enforcing disclosure. Any generated or manipulated ad will require legible text or audio that states that they have been created by AI.
In Kentucky, even first-time violators will be subject to felony charges with up to five years in prison, which differs from most states which prefer fines.
There has also been some effort to introduce bills at a federal level, including a bipartisan collaboration between Democrat Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and Republican Josh Hawley of Missouri.