HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania lawmakers face renewed pressure to regulate artificial intelligence in political advertising ahead of the November election, as legislation requiring disclosure of AI-generated campaign content remains stalled in the state Senate despite unanimous House approval in June.
State Rep. Tarik Khan, D-Philadelphia, called on the Senate to advance House Bill 811, citing recent AI-generated attack advertisements that he argues demonstrate the potential for misleading voters through digitally manipulated political content.
The legislation would require clear and prominent disclosures in political advertisements containing AI-generated or AI-altered material, establishing transparency requirements for campaigns and other entities producing such advertising.
It would also allow political candidates to pursue civil actions against individuals or organizations that distribute AI-generated content without the required disclosure, with penalties of up to $50,000.
The proposal has cleared the Pennsylvania House in two consecutive legislative sessions but has not received final Senate approval, according to Khan.
The legislative impasse leaves Pennsylvania without the specific disclosure requirements proposed in House Bill 811 as political campaigns increasingly have access to technology capable of generating realistic audio, images and video.
“It’s deeply troubling that AI-generated political deepfakes have exploded, with candidates now putting words in their opponents’ mouths that they never said,” Khan stated.
“For two legislative sessions, my bipartisan legislation to protect voters from this deception has passed the House, only to sit in the Republican-controlled Senate without action.”
The bill focuses on identifying AI manipulation in campaign communications rather than prohibiting political criticism or the use of artificial intelligence outright.
Its disclosure requirement would give voters notice when campaign material contains AI-generated or altered content, while the civil enforcement provision would provide candidates with a legal avenue to challenge undisclosed uses.
Khan argues that such safeguards are increasingly important as campaigns approach Election Day and AI technology makes it easier to produce fabricated representations of political opponents.
“Look, criticize your opponents all you want. That’s politics. But don’t use AI to fool voters,” Khan stated.
“My bill requires clear warnings when deepfakes are used and serious penalties for breaking the law. The Senate needs to act. The genie is already out of the bottle.”
With the general election approaching, the measure’s prospects depend on whether Senate lawmakers take up the House-approved legislation before voters head to the polls.
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