Georgia House passes bill to criminalize using AI-generated political ads intended to deceive
A bill aimed at reducing misleading AI-generated political ads passed the state House with a bipartisan 152-12 vote Thursday.
Under Senate Bill 9, originally authored by Roswell Republican Sen. John Albers, it would be a crime for political campaigns to knowingly publish certain audio or AI-made materials within 90 days of an election.
To be caught under the law, the material would have to be posted with the intention of significantly influencing a candidate's chance of being elected, creating confusion about the election or otherwise influencing the result. Including a disclaimer on the advertisement would protect a candidate who posted an ad that would otherwise violate the law.
A first offense would be a misdemeanor, and a second offense would be a felony, carrying a potential sentence of two to five years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.
The legislation originally created punishments for creating obscene images of children using AI but was amended in a House committee to deal with fraudulent election materials. Language aimed at obscene AI materials still survives in House Bill 171, which passed the House and is awaiting a Senate vote.
Holly Springs Republican Rep. Brad Thomas, the House sponsor of the bill, argued that the bill is narrowly tailored to catch purposely deceptive speech and contains a carveout for constitutionally protected speech including satire, parody, works of art and journalism.
'I want to make it clear, First Amendment-protected speech, such as satire and parody, as listed on line 56 – aka memes – are explicitly written as not applying to this bill,' Thomas said.
Dunwoody Democratic Rep. Long Tran said bad actors are already using cutting-edge tech to deceptively influence elections, referencing a bit of infamous audio from last year's election.
'Just a year ago, we saw in New Hampshire, during the New Hampshire presidential primary, a voice robocall went out to Democratic voters that imitated President Joe Biden's voice and told Democratic voters not to call out and vote,' he said. 'And that is the danger that AI poses today.'
A similar bill passed the House last year but fell short in the Senate over free speech concerns. Thomas said he worked since the 2024 legislative session to shore up any of those concerns, but not every legislator felt assured.
'This isn't freedom, it's Soviet-style control,' said Woodstock Republican Rep. Charlice Byrd. 'SB 9 could jail you for so-called deception, exposing corruption on felony charges up to five years. We already have deception laws for lies that harm. This is silencing dissent, plain and simple. If it passes, Georgia becomes like California, dissenters in handcuffs.'
The 12 lawmakers opposed to the bill included members of both parties.
Lilburn Democratic Rep. Jasmine Clark, who voted against the bill, said she thinks it should go further than the 90-day window before an election.
'My concern would be if a campaign that is very well-funded has 300 days – or whatever 365 minus 90 is, I don't feel like doing math – they have that many days to make deceptive materials about you, and then there's just a 90-day moratorium,' she said. 'How do you undo that damage?
Because it was amended, the bill will need to return to the Senate for a final vote before it can land on Gov. Brian Kemp's desk. The deadline for that to happen is April 4, the last day of the 2025 legislative session.
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
12 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
First domino in national redistricting fight likely to fall with Texas GOP poised for vote on maps
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The first domino in a growing national redistricting battle is likely to fall Wednesday as the Republican-controlled Texas legislature is expected to pass a new congressional map creating five new winnable seats for the GOP. The vote follows prodding by President Donald Trump, eager to stave off a midterm defeat that would deprive his party of control of the House of Representatives, and weeks of delays after dozens of Texas Democratic state lawmakers fled the state in protest. Some Democrats returned Monday, only to be assigned round-the-clock police escorts to ensure their attendance at Wednesday's session. Those who refused to be monitored were confined to the House floor, where they protested on a livestream Tuesday night. Furious national Democrats have vowed payback for the Texas map, with California's legislature poised to approve new maps adding more Democratic-friendly seats later this week. The map would still need to be approved by that state's voters in November. Normally, states redraw maps once a decade with new census figures. But Trump is lobbying other conservative-controlled states like Indiana and Missouri to also try to squeeze new GOP-friendly seats out of their maps as his party prepares for a difficult midterm election next year. In Texas, Democrats spent the day before the vote continuing to draw attention to the extraordinary lengths the Republicans who run the legislature were going to ensure it takes place. Democratic state Rep. Nicole Collier started it when she refused to sign what Democrats called the 'permission slip' needed to leave the House chamber, a half-page form allowing Department of Public Safety troopers to follow them. She spent Monday night and Tuesday on the House floor, where she set up a livestream while her Democratic colleagues outside had plainclothes officers following them to their offices and homes. Dallas-area Rep. Linda Garcia said she drove three hours home from Austin with an officer following her. When she went grocery shopping, he went down every aisle with her, pretending to shop, she said. As she spoke to The Associated Press by phone, two unmarked cars with officers inside were parked outside her home. 'It's a weird feeling,' she said. 'The only way to explain the entire process is: It's like I'm in a movie.' The trooper assignments, ordered by Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows, was another escalation of a redistricting battle that has widened across the country. Trump is pushing GOP state officials to tilt the map for the 2026 midterms more in his favor to preserve the GOP's slim House majority, and Democrats nationally have rallied around efforts to retaliate. Other Democrats join the protest House Minority Leader Gene Wu, from Houston, and state Rep. Vince Perez, of El Paso, stayed overnight with Collier, who represents a minority-majority district in Fort Worth. On Tuesday, more Democrats returned to the Capitol to tear up the slips they had signed and stay on the House floor, which has a lounge and restrooms for members. Dallas-area Rep. Cassandra Garcia Hernandez called their protest a 'slumber party for democracy,' and she said Democrats were holding strategy sessions on the floor. 'We are not criminals,' Houston Rep. Penny Morales Shaw said. Collier said having officers shadow her was an attack on her dignity and an attempt to control her movements. Republican leader says Collier 'is well within her rights' Burrows brushed off Collier's protest, saying he was focused on important issues, such as providing property tax relief and responding to last month's deadly floods. His statement Tuesday morning did not mention redistricting, and his office did not immediately respond to other Democrats joining Collier. 'Rep. Collier's choice to stay and not sign the permission slip is well within her rights under the House Rules,' Burrows said. Under those rules, until Wednesday's scheduled vote, the chamber's doors are locked, and no member can leave 'without the written permission of the speaker.' To do business Wednesday, 100 of 150 House members must be present. The GOP wants 5 more seats in Texas The GOP plan is designed to send five additional Republicans from Texas to the U.S. House. Texas Democrats returned to Austin after Democrats in California launched an effort to redraw their state's districts to take five seats from Republicans. Democrats also said they were returning because they expect to challenge the new maps in court. Republicans issued civil arrest warrants to bring the Democrats back after they left the state Aug. 3, and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott asked the state Supreme Court to oust Wu and several other Democrats from office. The lawmakers also face a fine of $500 for every day they were absent. How officers shadowed Democratic lawmakers Democrats reported different levels of monitoring. Houston Rep. Armando Walle said he wasn't sure where his police escort was, but there was still a heightened police presence in the Capitol, so he felt he was being monitored closely. Some Democrats said the officers watching them were friendly. But Austin Rep. Sheryl Cole said in a social media post that when she went on her morning walk Tuesday, the officer following her lost her on the trail, got angry and threatened to arrest her. Garcia said her 9-year-old son was with her as she drove home, and each time she looked in the rearview mirror, she could see the officer close behind. He came inside a grocery store where she shopped with her son. 'I would imagine that this is the way it feels when you're potentially shoplifting and someone is assessing whether you're going to steal," she said.
New York Post
12 minutes ago
- New York Post
Elon Musk reportedly eyeing JD Vance for 2028 as he hits the brakes on plans for a new political party
Elon Musk is reportedly putting the brakes on launching his new political party in order to maintain ties with prominent Republicans — especially Vice President JD Vance, who the billionaire is eyeing to back in 2028. Musk had vowed that his 'America Party' would challenge the two-party system, however, he told those close to him that he'd rather focus on his businesses than pull voters away from his Republican allies in Washington, the Wall Street Journal reported. The Tesla CEO is particularly keen on keeping ties with Vance, who is widely speculated to inherit the MAGA movement after President Trump completes his second term. 3 Elon Musk attends a news conference with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington. AP Musk has told associates that forming the 'America Party' would damage that relationship, according to the paper. Musk, the richest man in the world, has expressed to those in his circle that he would financially back Vance if he made a run for the White House in 2028. He dumped nearly $300 million on Trump and other Republican campaigns in the 2024 elections, propelling Trump to a second presidential victory. Still, Musk hasn't completely ruled out moving forward with the new party and is waiting to see how the 2026 midterm elections shake out, the tech mogul's allies told the Journal. 3 Vice President JD Vance (C) exits the Oval Office in the opposite direction as President Trump and Musk (R) walk away before departing the White House on his way to his South Florida home in Mar-a-Lago in Florida on March 14, 2025. AFP via Getty Images 3 Musk jumps on the stage as President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. AP Musk first threatened to start a new political party last month during his public spat with Trump over his Big Beautiful Bill Act — which Musk called a 'disgusting abomination.' He initially proposed targeting '2 or 3 Senate Seats and 8 to 10 House districts' giving them just enough influence to impact key votes on controversial legislation. Musk, without commenting further on the Journal's report, posted on X, 'Nothing @WSJ says should ever be thought of as true.'
The Hill
12 minutes ago
- The Hill
California redistricting lands in court
Morning Report is The Hill's a.m. newsletter. Sign up here. In today's issue: ▪ GOP sues to block California redistricting ▪ Russia peace plan eludes Trump, allies ▪ Tariff price hikes to hit your wallet ▪ MAHA vs. MAGA Republicans are taking their battle against Gavin Newsom to court. GOP state lawmakers in California filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to try to block the Democratic governor's plan to redistrict House seats. Republican legislators are seeking to halt Democrats' push to advance legislation as soon as Thursday setting up a Nov. 4 special election that would allow voters to weigh in on the congressional redistricting proposal. Democrats' goal: Nab five potential new Democratic seats in the U.S. House to checkmate Texas Republicans' strategy to redistrict a path to five additional GOP seats ahead of next year's midterm contests. And Democrats in the California Legislature do not need any Republican votes to move ahead. ▪ The Sacramento Bee: Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.), whose district would be impacted under a proposed new congressional map, is encouraging Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to use pending legislation he introduced to try to thwart what he calls California's redistricting ' sham.' IMITATION WITHOUT FLATTERY: Newsom, who for weeks has spearheaded efforts to challenge Texas' remapping efforts, has taken a page out of President Trump 's playbook in leveraging social media to throw shade at the president and his allies, The Hill's Amie Parnes reports. The term-limited governor, who has been making moves lately suggesting steps toward a presidential bid, envisions a political leg up within his beleaguered party — if his plan succeeds. The governor has mined Trump's MO to get under his skin. In an effort to egg the president on — and rally support among Democrats — Newsom has called his midterm redistricting proposal 'beautiful' and described his own rally that way. His social media posts appear in ALL CAPS accompanied by lowbrow nicknames, perceived as a Trump hallmark. When various GOP targets have responded in a huff, Newsom's team exults that Republicans aren't quick enough to get it. ▪ CNN: Asked last week by a reporter to defend the tone he's adopted online, Newsom referred to Trump, saying, 'If you have issues with what I'm putting out, you sure as hell should have concerns with what he's putting out as president,' decrying what he said was the 'normalization' of that approach even as he noted he was 'pleased with the attention.' ▪ The Hill: Indiana Republicans hesitate to pursue a plan to redraw the state's congressional district lines, despite pressure from the White House. Meanwhile, the GOP's mid-decade redistricting plans in Texas moved this week to the full chamber for consideration. 'There's nothing that prevents this congressional redistricting and we could do it again,' state Rep. Todd Hunter (R) said. A Texas Democratic state lawmaker stayed overnight into Tuesday in the state Capitol and alleged to a court that she faced 'illegal restraint' after being told she needed a police escort to leave. 'It's just wrong to require grown people to get a permission slip to roam about freely. So I resisted. I objected, in the only way I knew how, and that's to resist,' state Rep. Nicole Collier told MSNBC in an interview from the state House floor when asked why she didn't sign onto the law enforcement action. Collier was among the Texas Democrats who fled the state this month to delay the GOP's redistricting efforts amid a special legislative session. DATA DIVISIONS: The Justice Department is probing whether Washington, D.C., police falsified improved violent crime data (which the department reported and Trump disputes). The numbers are among Trump's complaints about the police department. Meanwhile, White House staff shared with Axios a tally of arrests in high-crime neighborhoods of the nation's capital to show law-and-order progress following the president's Aug. 11 emergency public safety order. PAYBACKS: Separately, the administration on Tuesday moved to revoke security clearances held by 37 current and former intelligence officials. Many who were singled out have not been in government for years. Security clearances are required to serve in certain federal roles and to consult on intelligence-related matters for clients on the outside. Some of those affected have been Trump critics and some worked on matters that have long provoked his ire, including the intelligence community assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to benefit Trump's campaign. The action ordered by Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence, reflects the president's distrust of the intelligence community and his instinct for public punishment. In March, the president signed a memorandum revoking security clearances and rescinding intelligence available to former President Biden, former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), among others. Smart Take with Blake Burman Just how big could the presence of National Guard troops become in our nation's capital? Perhaps it will double in size in the coming days, as some Republican governors have pledged sending in personnel from their states. But another question has emerged as well: Could the National Guard members patrol D.C. streets armed? 'I think President Trump and Secretary Noem and this Trump administration are going to give our law enforcement all the resources they need to be doing their jobs,' said Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security's assistant secretary for public affairs. When I asked her if weapons were definitively coming, she said, 'I can't speak to that definitively, but I do think that we keep all options on the table.' The administration is pointing to stats showing crime is down in the days since the federal takeover. It's clear this story is still unfolding, and the administration believes the data is on its side. Burman hosts 'The Hill' weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation. 3 Things to Know Today Hamas accepted a temporary ceasefire proposal instead of an offer that required the Palestinian militant group to release hostages. Trump's Office of Management and Budget asserts authority to freeze billions of dollars in spending approved by Congress, which under the Constitution has the power of the purse. A clash is nigh. Hurricane Erin is expected to remain far off the Atlantic coast but its outer bands may deliver high winds, large swells and life-threatening rip currents along the East Coast today through Friday. Leading the Day PEACE PROCESS: Russia is refusing to commit to a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Trump has encouraged as a next step toward ending the war between the two countries. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov argued Tuesday that any summit between the leaders should be prepared 'step by step, gradually, starting from the expert level and then going through all the necessary stages.' The Trump administration on Tuesday said Putin would meet with Zelensky, projecting confidence that a summit between the leaders is on track. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Putin agreed during a Monday call with Trump to 'begin the next phase of the peace process — a meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky.' Trump, after White House meetings on Monday with Zelensky and a group of European leaders, announced he is working to arrange a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky, followed by a trilateral meeting that would involve him. But the president's proposal for security guarantees for Ukraine is causing unease in Moscow, which repeated its objections to any role for forces from NATO countries. ▪ NBC News: United States and NATO military officials are set to meet today to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine. ▪ The Hill: Trump will skip his planned vacation at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., to work on the Russia-Ukraine war. ▪ The Wall Street Journal: Trump plans to get Putin and Zelensky talking. That's not the hard part. Ukrainian officials said Russia launched 93 drones and two ballistic missiles into the country overnight Tuesday. In response to Russia's drone attack, two German fighter jets were scrambled to the Romanian-Ukrainian border region. World leaders struck a note of caution on negotiations resulting from Monday's meetings, where they pushed for a ceasefire. The president, meanwhile, is championing what he calls a 'peace process' to permanently end the conflict. 'It is a step,' said French President Emmanuel Macron. 'We are very far from declaring victory.' ▪ The Hill: Trump called Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Monday to win his support for Ukraine to join the European Union. ▪ CNN: Possible locations for a Putin-Zelensky summit include Hungary or Switzerland. ▪ The New York Times: The Kremlin's goal is to destabilize Europe, and attacks on infrastructure are a preferred weapon. AIR SUPPORT? Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead a newly formed joint commission that will work on forging a security guarantees proposal for Ukraine, an administration official confirmed to The Hill's sister network NewsNation on Tuesday. The commission will be made up of U.S., Ukrainian, European and NATO officials. Rubio, who is also Trump's national security adviser, was one of three U.S. officials to participate in a closed-door meeting with the Russian delegation on Friday in Alaska. In Congress, Trump's Republican allies are putting pressure on him not to entangle the U.S. militarily in Ukraine. The president and the White House on Tuesday insisted the U.S. would not put boots on the ground in Ukraine but floated the idea of providing air support using U.S. pilots and warplanes. That, combined with special envoy Steve Witkoff 'sdeclaration that the U.S. could participate in 'Article 5-like protections' for Kyiv, has set off alarm bells for some of Trump's 'America First' supporters. 'I'd have to look at what the responsibilities would be. We don't want another war,' Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday. 'People in this country, they can't fathom that after 20 years of war over in the Middle East and then getting into another. I know the president's not into that, but we don't want anything to happen in terms of having to fight and lose more lives.' Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Monday that the Senate is prepared to impose sanctions on Russia, even as Trump suggested he was no longer considering those measures after meeting with Putin in Alaska. Thune praised Trump on Monday in a post on the social platform X while reiterating that the Senate 'stands ready to provide … any economic leverage needed to keep Russia at the table to negotiate a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.' Where and When The president will participate in a swearing-in ceremony at 1 p.m. in the Oval Office for incoming U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Andrew Puzder. The House will hold a pro forma session on Friday at 9 a.m. and will return to work in Washington on Sept. 2. The Senate will hold a pro forma session at 9 a.m. on Friday. Zoom In INTEL: The Trump administration is considering taking a stake in Intel as a means of boosting the struggling U.S. chipmaker, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed Tuesday. Lutnick indicated the money for the stake would come from previously allocated Biden-era funding. Media reports suggest the government is considering a 10 percent stake using CHIPS and Science Act grants. 'Why are we giving a company worth $100 billion this kind of money? What is in it for the American taxpayer? And the answer Donald Trump has is we should get an equity stake for our money,' the Commerce chief told CNBC's 'Squawk Box.' ▪ The Wall Street Journal: SoftBank's $2 billion investment in Intel offers the challenged chipmaker a lifeline — and makes the Japanese conglomerate a private-sector champion in the Trump administration's effort to revive the company. TARIFF JITTERS: Nearly a third of U.S. businesses are likely to increase prices by the end of the year as they continue to adjust to rising costs and inflation, according to a new report by LendingTree. Economists and political strategists have sounded alarms about escalating costs throughout this year after Trump promised to drive down prices if elected. Modest price hikes will soon hit Home Depot, despite the company's efforts to lessen the impact of tariffs by relying on domestic products and diversifying its supply chain. RATE CUTS: Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman, nominated by Trump to her role in March, dissented with one other Fed board member in July when the central bank voted to keep its benchmark interest rate steady. She told Bloomberg News on Tuesday her view remains the same. The Fed board meets Sept. 16-17. GOV BATTLE: Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger 's (D-Va.) gubernatorial campaign this morning rolled out an ad focused on lowering costs in Virginia, marking less than one month before early voting begins ahead of November's elections. Spanberger's lead over Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) narrowed in a poll released Tuesday. The Democrat led 46 percent to 39 percent in the Roanoke College survey. Elsewhere MAHA VS. MAGA: The 'Make America Healthy Again' movement could be on a collision course with its Republican allies over issues related to pesticides and toxic chemicals. The movement has been skeptical of Big Pharma, Big Agriculture and Big Chemical and has been largely aligned with the administration and Republicans on issues related to vaccines. But The Hill's Rachel Frazin reports cracks are beginning to form on issues related to chemicals. MAHA-aligned groups and influencers are particularly raising alarms about provisions in a House appropriations bill that they say will shield pesticide and chemical manufacturers from accountability — and ultimately make Americans less healthy. Meanwhile, media outlets reported a draft of the administration's 'MAHA report' omits any calls to act to prevent pesticide exposure. 'It's obvious that there are tensions within this newfound coalition between MAHA and MAGA, and there are some big issues there,' said Mary Holland, CEO of Children's Health Defense, a group that was founded by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., considered the MAHA flagbearer. HEALTH GRANTS: The Trump administration has delayed or blocked millions of dollars in federal grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), leaving state and local health departments in the dark, uncertain when or even if they will get money that's already been appropriated by Congress for key public health initiatives. With little communication from the White House, CDC staff, as reported by The Hill's Nathaniel Weixel, are trying to expedite getting grants out the door, and public health officials are scrambling to spend the money they have before it expires Sept. 30. 'Everything is weeks, if not months behind schedule,' said a CDC employee with knowledge of the funding situation. ▪ The Washington Post: What is 'AI psychosis' and how can artificial intelligence bots like ChatGPT affect your mental health? 'AMERICA FIRST' K-12? Out-of-state teachers coming to Oklahoma from blue states will be administered a new test by conservative educational platform PragerU, in a move the state superintendent said is meant to root out 'radical leftist ideology' from classrooms. While the full test was not shared, some questions seen by The Hill ask incoming teachers basic civics questions, such as the first three words of the Constitution and why freedom of religion is important in America. ▪ The Hill: The student experience is changing at universities after some diversity, equity and inclusion programs, offices and centers have been shut down. Opinion The Closer And finally … 🤖 If, perchance, you dimly recall the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots action toy first introduced in 1964 — and still sold — picture a much bigger boxing version with humanoid robots. Yesterday's tiny plastic toys morphed into gigantic 'athletes' competing in the past week in Beijing. More than 500 robots sent by 16 countries, including the United States, vied in boxing, soccer and running (and other sports) during the first 'World Humanoid Robot Games. '
