The Pulse
Shontel Brown’s Election AI Bill Would Require Labels
Rep. Shontel Brown introduced the Securing Elections From AI Deception Act, which would require disclaimers on certain AI-generated election content. The bill also proposes FTC enforcement and penalties for using AI to intentionally interfe
AI.info Team · Written with AI · fact-checked ·
“This isn’t complicated: voters deserve to know that the campaign content they see and hear is real.”
Congresswoman Shontel Brown
Rep. Shontel Brown introduced the Securing Elections From AI Deception Act on October 19, a bill that would require disclaimers on some AI-generated election content and prohibit certain uses of AI to interfere with voting rights. Brown’s office announced the legislation on October 21. The bill has 30 cosponsors and endorsements from the NAACP, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice.
The bill covers candidate depictions and voting information
The proposed disclaimer requirement applies when a person using a covered algorithm intentionally publishes AI-generated or AI-assisted media in specified categories. Those include images or video simulating, altering or distorting a federal, state or local candidate; audio that simulates or alters a candidate’s voice; and content depicting information about when, where or how to vote or register.
The bill offers two forms of disclosure: the words “AI Disclaimer: This output was generated by artificial intelligence,” or a circular “AI” symbol designed at a size and scale similar to the copyright mark. It also directs developers who offer tools for creating or publishing covered content to provide users with a way to comply. When technically feasible, developers would have to make the disclaimers permanent or difficult to remove.
The FTC would set rules before labels take effect
The Federal Trade Commission would write rules on where and how disclaimers appear, including accessibility requirements and adjustments for different media. The agency would have up to two years after enactment to issue those rules; the disclosure requirement would begin 60 days after the rules are issued. The FTC could also create exceptions for circumstances where a reasonable person would plainly recognize a depiction as synthetic.
The bill separately bars developers and deployers from intentionally using covered algorithms to deprive or defraud people of their right to vote, or attempting to do so. Listed conduct includes deceptive information about voting procedures or eligibility, and deception or intimidation meant to deter people from voting, supporting a candidate or serving as election workers. Violators could face a fine, up to one year in prison, or both.
Wesleyan counts $137 million in AI-assisted ads
The proposal comes amid a sharp rise in identified AI-assisted political advertising. The Wesleyan Media Project’s October 15 report counted 220 such ads in the 2026 cycle, with more than $137 million in estimated spending; the project said the total is likely an undercount because some uses of AI are difficult to detect. Only 27% of the ads carried a disclaimer, according to the report.
Republican candidates or groups sponsored 81% of the identified ads and accounted for 88% of their spending, Wesleyan found. The project reported less than $50,000 in spending on AI-generated ads during the 2024 cycle. Brown’s bill would establish a federal disclosure framework for specific election-related uses, but its delayed start—after enactment and FTC rulemaking—means it would not create an immediate labeling requirement.