Requires certain political communications to include provenance data for all audios, images or videos used in such communications; provides for the repeal of certain provisions upon the expiration thereof.
Summary
A08523 would amend New York election law to require certain statewide campaigns to attach provenance data to political communications that include audio, images, or video. The bill defines provenance data as content credentials that disclose the origin of digital content, any later edits or metadata changes, and whether generative artificial intelligence was used to create or modify the material. It also defines key terms such as synthetic content, AI model, and generative artificial intelligence provider.
Beginning with the 2030 election cycle, campaigns for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and comptroller would have to apply provenance data directly or through third-party technology to covered political communications. The required disclosure would include the device or service used to generate the content, which portions are synthetic, whether AI was used, the name of the AI provider if applicable, and when the provenance data was applied. The attorney general would be authorized to adopt rules on acceptable methods and technologies for compliance, and the bill would sunset the new disclosure requirements at the end of 2030.
Impact
The bill would add a new disclosure mandate to Election Law section 14-106, creating compliance obligations for certain statewide campaigns and potentially for vendors or technology providers assisting them. It would also give the attorney general enforcement authority, including civil penalties of up to $100,000 per intentional or grossly negligent violation and up to $50,000 for unintentional violations not involving gross negligence. The measure is aimed at regulating political advertising and campaign communications involving AI-generated or AI-edited media, while excluding personal information and device identifiers from the required provenance data.
Sentiment
No committee transcript or recorded vote is provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text, the measure appears to reflect a policy interest in transparency and accountability for AI-generated political media, suggesting a generally reform-oriented and election-integrity-focused purpose. The delayed effective date and sunset indicate an attempt to phase in the requirements and limit them to a trial period.
Contention
The main likely points of contention are the scope of the mandate, the feasibility and cost of compliance, and the breadth of the attorney general’s enforcement authority. Campaigns and technology vendors may object to the operational burden of tagging all covered communications and to the risk of substantial penalties for mistakes, while supporters are likely to emphasize the need to prevent deceptive deepfakes and undisclosed AI manipulation in elections. Another possible issue is that the bill applies only to certain statewide offices, which may raise questions about whether the approach is too narrow or whether it should be expanded to other races.
Same As
Requires certain political communications to include provenance data for all audios, images or videos used in such communications; provides for the repeal of certain provisions upon the expiration thereof.
Requires certain political communications to include provenance data for all audios, images or videos used in such communications; provides for the repeal of certain provisions upon the expiration thereof.
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