NYC bill would ban AI use in elections to manipulate

Metro

exclusive

By Rich Calder

A new City Council bill would criminalize the misuse of artificial intelligence and other technology to sway local elections, The Post has learned.

Videos, mailers, audio recordings and other campaign material “intentionally manipulated to depict speech or conduct of a candidate” that never occurred would be prohibited under Councilwoman Julie Menin’s bill, set to be introduced Wednesday.

The ban would apply to any NYC election for mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough president and the City Council.

It covers tech misuse during the final 60 days leading up to each election, which is when most ads are run and voters pay closer attention to races.

Violators would face up to a year behind bars and $2,500 in fines.

Menin (D-Manhattan) told The Post she wants to prohibit AI misuse in Big Apple politics before it becomes a problem like in other parts of the world.

“AI-generated images and videos have proliferated, causing significant concern around their use in political campaigns,” she said. “Deceptive imagery erodes media literacy and can negatively affect our election process.”

Such manipulation of election materials “will not be tolerated and must be prohibited,” she added.

Some states — including California, Minnesota, Texas and Washington — already have laws in place criminalizing the sharing and creation of “deepfake” content to influence elections, or digitally manipulated sexual images of others.

There are no such laws on a national level protecting campaigns from AI abuse.

In December, Menin introduced a non-binding resolution demanding the Federal Election Commission prohibit political candidates from “using deceptive artificial intelligence” to sway voters.

Political ads using AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E have already saturated campaign trails both nationally and worldwide — including fake images of Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump resisting arrest and of his wife Melania yelling at police.

So far, the most infamous example of AI abuse in New York politics is a fake, expletive-laden recording released online last month of Manhattan Democratic boss Keith Wright bashing state Assemblywoman Inez Dickens (D-Manhattan).

“She’s done,” the AI-version of the Dem leader says in the shocking audio. “I dug her grave, and she rolled into it. F–k that b—h. Lazy. Incompetent.”

The clip started circulating mere days after Wright’s son, Jordan, announced he was making a bid for Dickens’ seat representing Harlem.

Wright has said he’s furious over the “deepfake” recording.

There’s no known examples of artificial intelligence being used in NYC races to manipulate voters.

But in December, newly elected Councilwoman Susan Zhuang, (D-Brooklyn) admitted submitting AI-generated answers for a Q and A interview with the media outlet City & State after being outed by The Post.