15 States Enact Laws to Regulate AI Deepfakes in Elections

Last week, Alabama became the 15th state to enact a law regulating AI deepfakes in campaign communications. Five states had enacted laws on the subject prior to 2024, but the remaining 10 states have done so in just the past four months, according to Public Citizen’s state bills tracker.

State progress on this issue has been proactive and bipartisan — just this year, 29 states have had bills to regulate deepfakes in elections pass in at least one chamber, with 19 of those bills passed by both chambers.

Meanwhile, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) has continued to slow-walk federal action that would safeguard elections from AI.

“Six months out from the 2024 election, these 15 states are the only places where the use of AI deepfakes in campaign communications is regulated, leaving the remaining 35 vulnerable,” said Ilana Beller, a democracy advocate with Public Citizen. “State lawmakers across the country have addressed the threat posed by AI deepfakes with a commendable sense of urgency and bipartisan cooperation. Their progress should serve as a wake-up call to federal authorities who have a responsibility to use their power to protect the country as a whole.”

To learn more about Public Citizen’s work to regulate AI deepfakes in 2024 and beyond, see our state bills tracker (updated regularly) or visit www.citizen.org/ai.