Bills to Address AI’s Threats to Elections Clear First Hurdles
Four bills move out of policy committees in state legislature
SACRAMENTO — Yesterday, four bills to address AI threats to elections passed their first legislative milestones in the California state legislature. Despite facing massive opposition from the technology industry, the package of bills, sponsored by the California Initiative for Technology and Democracy (CITED), moved forward, in several cases with bipartisan support.
“These bills represent the most nuanced and most aggressive attempt in the United States to protect our democracy from digital threats” said Jonathan Mehta Stein, California Common Cause Executive Director. “AI, deepfakes, and disinformation pose a grave threat to our elections and make it much easier for bad actors to deceive voters and undermine faith in our democracy. The first step to address these digital threats is to send this common-sense legislation to the Governor’s desk and in doing so, provide a blueprint for the nation.”