Officials Sound Alarm on AI Deepfakes in US Elections

State and local election officials in the U.S. recently testified before the Senate Rules Committee highlighting concerns regarding the growing threat of AI-generated deepfakes to election integrity. They stressed the urgent need for legislation to tackle challenges posed by AI, safeguard election workers and voters, and counter foreign interference.

Since 2019, all 50 states have introduced bills to regulate deepfakes in elections, with 15 states passing legislation, and seven enacting it. The officials also addressed issues such as misinformation, disinformation, voter mobilization, voting rights, and foreign interference.

Critical concerns

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson urged lawmakers to pass the Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act, co-sponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar and Susan Collins.

The bipartisan bill mandates the Election Assistance Commission and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to create optional guidelines for election offices. These guidelines will cover the use and risks of AI in election administration, cybersecurity, information sharing, and combating election-related disinformation.

“Our job as election administrators increasingly forces us to endure harassment, false and malicious attacks on our character and threats of violence, all because of lies about our work and our integrity,” Benson said in her opening statement.

Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen highlighted his state's AVID system for maintaining voter registration rolls but called for federal regulations to ease access to crucial information. He urged states to shorten the four-year waiting period for voter file maintenance, emphasizing its importance in preserving election confidence.