FCC to consider rules for AI-generated political ads on TV and radio, but can't touch streaming

The head of the Federal Communications Commission introduced on Wednesday a proposal to require political advertisers to disclose when they use content generated by artificial intelligence in broadcast television and radio ads.

If adopted by the five-person commission, the proposal would add a layer of transparency that many lawmakers and AI experts have been calling for as rapidly advancing generative AI tools churn out lifelike images, videos and audio clips that threaten to mislead voters in the upcoming U.S. election.

Yet the nation's top telecommunications regulator would only have authority over TV, radio and some cable providers. The new rules, if adopted, would not cover the tremendous growth in advertising on digital and streaming platforms.

«As artificial intelligence tools become more accessible, the commission wants to make sure consumers are fully informed when the technology is used,” FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement Wednesday. “Today, I’ve shared with my colleagues a proposal that makes clear consumers have a right to know when AI tools are being used in the political ads they see, and I hope they swiftly act on this issue.”

The proposal marks the second time this year that the commission has begun taking significant steps to combat the growing use of artificial intelligence tools in political communications. The FCC earlier confirmed that AI voice-cloning tools in robocalls are banned under existing law. That decision followed an incident in New Hampshire’s primary election when automated calls used voice-cloning software to imitate President Joe Biden in order to dissuade voters from going to the polls.

If adopted, the proposal announced Wednesday would ask broadcasters to verify with