A New Orleans magician recently made headlines for using artificial intelligence (AI) to emulate President Biden’s voice without his consent in a misleading robocall to New Hampshire voters. This was not a magic trick, but rather a demonstration of the risks AI-generated “deepfakes” pose to election integrity.  As rapidly evolving AI capabilities collide with the ongoing 2024 elections, federal and state policymakers increasingly are taking steps to protect the public from the threat of deceptive AI-generated political content.

Media generated by AI to imitate an individual’s voice or likeness present significant challenges for regulators.  As deepfakes increasingly become indistinguishable from authentic content, members of Congress, federal regulatory agencies, and third-party stakeholders all have called for action to mitigate the threats deepfakes can pose for elections.  

Several federal regulators have taken steps to explore the regulation of AI-generated content within their existing jurisdiction.  On February 8, the Federal Communications Commission issued a declaratory ruling confirming that the Telephone Consumer Protection Act restricts the use of “current AI technologies that generate human voices,” an interpretation endorsed by 26 state attorneys general. 

Last year, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) took a step toward clarifying whether AI-generated deepfakes might violate the Federal Election Campaign Act’s prohibition on deceptive campaign practices by requesting comment on whether to initiate a rulemaking on the subject.  After previously deadlocking on a petition from Public Citizen to open such a rulemaking, the FEC voted unanimously in August 2023 to accept public comment on whether to initiate rulemaking procedures, though the agency has not yet taken further action.

Members of Congress also have introduced several bills that regulate deepfakes, though these efforts have moved slowly in committee.  Many lawmakers remain determined to make progress on the issue, as senators from both parties expressed in an April Judiciary Subcommittee hearing. In March, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the bipartisan AI Transparency in Elections Act of 2024 to require clear and conspicuous disclosures in certain political communications that were created or materially altered by artificial intelligence.  Representatives Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Neal Dunn (R-FL)—members of the House Bipartisan Task Force on Artificial Intelligence—introduced a more generally applicable deepfake disclosure bill that would also address potential impact of the technology on our elections.

Several states already have enacted prohibitions or disclosure requirements on certain forms of manipulated media related to elections, including Minnesota, Texas, and California.  These laws generally prohibit the knowing dissemination of deepfakes within one to three months of an election, and each requires intent to influence the election or the depicted candidate’s reputation.

Even with AI risks top-of-mind for policymakers at all levels, with just seven months until the 2024 general election, a full agenda in Congress, and state legislative sessions coming to a close, the prospects of major reforms in time for this cycle remain uncertain.

Tags: campaign finance, FEC
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Photo of Matthew Shapanka Matthew Shapanka

Matthew Shapanka practices at the intersection of law, policy, and politics, developing strategies to guide businesses facing complex legislative, regulatory, and investigative matters. Matt draws on more than 15 years of experience across Capitol Hill, private practice, state government, and political campaigns to…

Matthew Shapanka practices at the intersection of law, policy, and politics, developing strategies to guide businesses facing complex legislative, regulatory, and investigative matters. Matt draws on more than 15 years of experience across Capitol Hill, private practice, state government, and political campaigns to advise clients on leading-edge policy issues involving artificial intelligence, semiconductors, connected and autonomous vehicles, and other critical and emerging technologies.

Matt works with clients to develop and execute complex public policy initiatives that involve legal, political, and reputational risks. He regularly assists clients to:

Develop public policy strategies
Draft federal and state legislation and regulations
Analyze legislation, regulations, and other government initiatives
Craft testimony, regulatory comments, fact sheets, letters and other advocacy materials
Prepare company executives and other witnesses to testify before Congress, state legislatures, and regulatory bodies
Represent clients before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, state legislatures, and state regulatory agencies
Build and manage policy advocacy coalitions

He advises clients across multiple policy areas, including matters involving regulation of critical and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, connected and autonomous vehicles, and semiconductors; national security; intellectual property; antitrust; financial services technologies (“fintech”); food and beverage regulation; COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery; and election administration and campaign finance.

Matt rejoined Covington after serving as Chief Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, where he advised Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on all legal, policy, and oversight matters before the Committee. Most significantly, Matt staffed the Committee in passing the Electoral Count Reform Act – a landmark bipartisan law that updates the procedures for certifying and counting votes in presidential elections—and the Committee’s bipartisan joint investigation (with the Homeland Security Committee) into the security planning and response to the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

Both in Congress and at Covington, Matt has prepared dozens of corporate and nonprofit executives, academics, government officials, and presidential nominees for testimony at congressional committee hearings and depositions. He is a skilled legislative drafter who has composed dozens of bills and amendments introduced in Congress and state legislatures, including several that have been enacted into law across multiple policy areas. Matt also leads the firm’s state policy practice, advising clients on complex multistate legislative and regulatory matters and managing state-level advocacy efforts.

In addition to his policy work, as a member of Covington’s nationally recognized (Chambers Band 1) Election and Political Law Practice Group, Matt advises and represents clients on the full range of political law compliance and enforcement matters, including:

Federal election, campaign finance, lobbying, and government ethics laws
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s “Pay-to-Play” rule
Election and political laws of states and municipalities across the country

Before law school, Matt served in the administration of former Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA), where he worked on policy, communications, and compliance matters for federal economic recovery funding awarded to the state. He has also staffed federal, state, and local political candidates in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

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Photo of Samuel Klein Samuel Klein

Samuel Klein helps clients realize their policy objectives, manage reputational risks, and navigate the regulatory environment governing political engagement.

As a member of Covington’s Election and Political Law practice, Sam assists clients facing Congressional investigations and offers guidance on ethics laws; with the…

Samuel Klein helps clients realize their policy objectives, manage reputational risks, and navigate the regulatory environment governing political engagement.

As a member of Covington’s Election and Political Law practice, Sam assists clients facing Congressional investigations and offers guidance on ethics laws; with the firm’s Public Policy group, Sam supports strategic advocacy across a breadth of policy domains at the federal, state, and local levels.

Sam spent one year as a law clerk at the Federal Election Commission. His prior experience includes serving as an intern to two senior members of Congress and helping clients communicate nuanced policy concepts to lawmakers and stakeholders as a public-affairs consultant.

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