FEC moves toward potentially regulating AI deepfakes in campaign ads
The Federal Election Commission has begun a process to potentially regulate AI-generated deepfakes in political ads ahead of the 2024 election, a move advocates say would safeguard voters against a particularly insidious form of election disinformation. The FEC’s unanimous procedural vote on Thursday advances a petition asking it to regulate ads that use artificial intelligence to misrepresent political opponents as saying or doing something they didn’t — a stark issue that is already being highlighted in the current 2024 GOP presidential primary. Though the circulation of convincing fake images, videos, or audio clips is not new, innovative generative AI tools are making them cheaper, easier to use, and more likely to manipulate public perception. As a result, some presidential campaigns in the 2024 race — including that of Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis — already are using them to persuade voters. The Republican National Committee in April released an entirely AI-generated ad meant to show the future of the United States if President Joe Biden is reelected. It employed fake but realistic photos showing boarded-up storefronts, armored military patrols in the streets, and waves of immigrants creating panic. In June, DeSantis’ campaign shared an attack ad against his GOP primary opponent Donald Trump that used AI-generated images of the former president hugging infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci. SOS America PAC, which supports Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, a Republican, also has experimented with generative AI, using a tool called VideoAsk to create an AI chatbot in his likeness. Thursday’s FEC meeting comes after the advocacy group Public Citizen asked the agency to clarify that an existing federal law against “fraudulent misrepresentation” in campaign communications applies to AI-generated deepfakes. The panel’s vote shows the agency’s intent to consider the question, but it will not decide whether to actually develop rules governing the ads until after a 60-day public comment window, which is likely to begin next week. In June, the FEC deadlocked on an earlier petition from the group, with some commissioners expressing skepticism that they had the authority to regulate AI ads. Public Citizen came back with a new petition identifying the fraudulent misrepresentation law and explaining it thought the FEC did have jurisdiction. A group of 50 Democratic lawmakers led by House Rep. Adam Schiff also wrote a letter to the FEC urging the agency to advance the petition, saying, “Quickly evolving AI technology makes it increasingly difficult for voters to accurately identify fraudulent video and audio material, which is increasingly troubling in the context of campaign advertisements.” Republican Commissioner Allen Dickerson said in Thursday’s meeting he remained unconvinced that the agency had the authority to regulate deepfake ads. “I’ll note that there’s absolutely nothing special about deepfakes or generative AI, the buzzwords of the day, in the context of this petition,” he said, adding that if the FEC had this authority, it would mean it also could punish other kinds of doctored media or lies in campaign ads. Dickerson argued the law doesn’t go that far, but noted the FEC has unanimously asked Congress for more authority. He also raised concerns the move would wrongly chill expression that’s protected under the First Amendment. Public Citizen President Robert Weissman disputed Dickerson’s points, arguing in an interview Thursday that deepfakes are different from other false statements or media because they fraudulently claim to speak on a candidate’s behalf in a way that’s convincing to the viewer. “The deepfake has an ability to fool the voter into believing that they are themselves seeing a person say or do something they didn’t say,” he said. “It’s a technological leap from prior existing tools.” Weissman said acknowledging deepfakes are fraud solves Dickerson’s First Amendment concerns, too — while false speech is protected, fraud is not. Lisa Gilbert, Public Citizen’s executive vice president, said under its proposal, candidates would also have the option to prominently disclose the use of artificial intelligence to misrepresent an opponent, rather than avoid the technology altogether. She argued action is needed because if a deepfake misleadingly impugning a candidate circulates without a disclaimer and doesn’t get publicly debunked, it could unfairly sway an election. For instance, the RNC disclosed the use of AI in its ad, but in small print that many viewers missed. Gilbert said the FEC could set guidelines on where, how and for how long campaigns and parties need to display these disclaimers. Even if the FEC decides to ban AI deepfakes in campaign ads, it wouldn’t cover all the threats they pose to elections. For example, the law on fraudulent misrepresentation wouldn’t enable the FEC to require outside groups, like PACs, to disclose when they imitate a candidate using artificial intelligence technology, Gilbert said. That means it wouldn’t cover an ad recently released by Never Back Down, a super PAC supporting DeSantis, that used an AI voice cloning tool to imitate Trump’s voice, making it seem like he narrated a social media post. It also wouldn’t stop individual social media users from creating and disseminating misleading content — as they long have — with both AI-generated falsehoods and other misrepresented media, often referred to as “cheap fakes.” Congress, however, could pass legislation creating guardrails for AI-generated deceptive content, and lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have expressed intent to do so. Several states also have discussed or passed legislation related to deepfake technology. Daniel Weiner, director of the Elections and Government Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, said misinformation about elections being fraudulently stolen is already a “potent force in American politics.” More sophisticated AI, he said, threatens to worsen that problem. “To what degree? You know, I think we’re still assessing,” he said. “But do I worry about it? Absolutely.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Alabama Republican Party has sold nearly all tickets to Donald Trump dinner
If you plan to see President Donald Trump when he comes to Montgomery on August 4, you need to buy those tickets today because the Alabama Republican Party reports that their dinner with Trump event is nearly sold out. “With less than ten days to go, only a few tickets remain for the Alabama Republican Party’s Summer Dinner with President Donald J. Trump,” the Alabama Republican Party announced late Tuesday in a press statement. “The response we’ve received since we announced President Trump as our keynote speaker has been overwhelming,” said Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl. “We expect individual tickets to be sold out imminently, and sales for table sponsors will shut down on Friday, if not sooner.” The dinner will take place on Friday, August 4, 2023, at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel at the Convention Center. The evening will kick off with a reception at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. “We are excited at this opportunity to raise the profile of our state by hosting the GOP frontrunner for president and giving Alabamians the chance to interact with him,” Wahl said. “Alabama is a Super Tuesday state and will play an important role in selecting our Party’s nominee.” To purchase tickets and sponsorships, go to the Alabama Republican Party’s website. Trump previously headlined the ALGOP’s 2021 Cullman fundraiser, where more than 50,000 people braved wet conditions and mud to see the former President. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke to the Alabama Republican Party in March at their Winter Dinner fundraiser. Trump was elected President in 2016, defeating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Trump failed to win reelection in 2020, losing the presidency to former Vice President Joe Biden. Trump is seeking a Trump v. Biden rematch, but he faces a crowded Republican primary field that includes: DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, U.S. Senator Tim Scott, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, and others. Trump remains the early polling frontrunner, despite being age 77 and facing indictments in at least three courts. At this point, Biden’s only serious roadblock to the Democratic nomination is former Congressman Robert Kennedy. The Alabama Presidential Primary will be on Tuesday, March 5. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez enters crowded GOP presidential race days after Donald Trump’s indictment
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez filed paperwork Wednesday to launch his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, jumping into the crowded race just a day after GOP front-runner Donald Trump appeared in court on federal charges in Suarez’s city. The 45-year-old mayor, the only Hispanic candidate in the race, declared his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. He had teased an announcement, noting that he would be making a “big speech” Thursday at the Reagan Library in California. Before Trump arrived at the courthouse Tuesday, Suarez toured the media encampment wearing a T-shirt with a police logo, as his city’s police force had jurisdiction over the downtown area. “If I do decide to run,” he told CNN, “it’s starting a new chapter, a new conversation of a new kind of leader who maybe looks a little different, speaks a little different, had a little bit of a different experience, but can inspire people.” Suarez, the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, is the son of Miami’s first Cuban-born mayor. He has national attention in recent years for his efforts to lure companies to Miami, with an eye toward turning the city into a crypto hub and the next Silicon Valley. Suarez, who is vying to become the first sitting mayor elected president, joins a GOP primary fight that includes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Despite having a candidate field in the double digits, the race is largely seen as a two-person contest between Trump and DeSantis. But the other competitors are hoping for an opening, which Trump has provided with his myriad legal vulnerabilities — none more serious than his federal indictment on charges of mishandling sensitive documents and refusing to give them back. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Miami federal court to 37 felony counts. Suarez has said he didn’t support Trump in either the 2016 or 2020 presidential elections, instead writing in the names of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and then-Vice President Pence. In 2018, Suarez publicly condemned Trump after reports came out that he had questioned why the United States would accept more immigrants from Haiti and “shithole countries” in Africa. But times have changed, with Trump advisers now praising Suarez’s work and helping him promote what he calls “the Miami success story.” Trump’s former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway has even floated Suarez’s name as a possible vice presidential pick. Suarez, who is married with two young children, is a corporate and real estate attorney who previously served as a city of Miami commissioner. He has also positioned himself as someone who can help the party further connect with Hispanics. In recent months, he has made visits to early GOP voting states as he weighed a possible 2024 campaign. He is more moderate than DeSantis and Trump but has threaded the needle carefully on cultural issues that have become popular among GOP politicians. Suarez has been critical of DeSantis, dismissing some of the state laws he has signed on immigration as “headline grabbers” lacking in substance. He has said immigration is an issue that “screams for a national solution” at a time when many Republicans back hard-line policies. The two-term mayor previously expressed support for a Florida law championed by DeSantis and dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” that bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, but he has not specified whether he supported the expansion of the policy to all grades. Like other Republicans, Suarez has criticized DeSantis’ feud with Disney over the same law, saying it looks like a “personal vendetta.” Further ingratiating himself with the Trump team, Suarez has echoed Trump’s attacks on DeSantis’ demeanor, saying the governor doesn’t make eye contact and struggles with personal relationships with other politicians. In 2020, the mayor made a play to attract tech companies to Florida after the state relaxed its COVID-19 restrictions. He met with Big Tech players and investors such as PayPal founder Peter Thiel and tech magnate Marcelo Claure, began appearing on national television, and was profiled by magazines. Suarez, who has said he takes his salary in Bitcoin, has also hosted Bitcoin conferences and started heavily promoting a cryptocurrency project named Miami Coin, created by a group called City Coins. But the hype dissipated as virus restrictions eased elsewhere, eliminating Miami’s advantage on the COVID-19 front. Suarez’s vision also hit roadblocks with the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, which was set to move its U.S. headquarters to Miami’s financial district before its founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas last December. The only cryptocurrency exchange that traded Miami Coin suspended its trading, citing liquidity problems, and not living up to its promise to generate enough money to eliminate city taxes. Miami also ranks among the worst big U.S. cities for income inequality and has one of the least affordable housing markets. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Data shows booming Florida economy despite inflationary headwinds
Data shows that despite lingering inflation, Florida’s economy is excelling. The latest data from the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research shows tax revenues are up, and federal data reveals the Sunshine State had the nation’s 10th lowest unemployment rate. According to the FOED, Florida tax revenues in March showed a gain of $167.7 million (4.8 %) over the forecast made by the state’s General Revenue Estimating Conference. Sales tax revenues were up 1.7% ($49 million) over the estimate. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state’s unemployment rate of 2.6% was tied for 10th lowest nationally with Idaho and Maine. Both data points show why the state has become the nation’s most popular moving destination, according to recently released IRS data. Ron DeSantis has signed into law several measures to further reduce the tax burden on Floridians thanks to this year’s legislative session, including permanently removing sales tax for everyday items like diapers, baby formula, and adult incontinence products. Tax incentives are also being implemented to keep Floridians in the state for family vacations, which include sales tax holidays for concerts, camping gear, and other attractions around the state. The measures have all been put in place to ease some of the pressures being felt due to rising inflation that has hit a 40-year high since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, growing 4.9% since April 2022, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Employment opportunities and bonuses are being offered to law enforcement officers, correctional officers, and teachers to attract more professionals to Florida, driving up in-migration, while adding new taxpayers. The U.S. Census Bureau data shows that tax revenues, despite taking a slight dip in early 2020, have continued to grow each quarter. Florida’s tax revenue for 2022 hit almost $62 billion, peaking in the second quarter at over $17 billion, as tax revenues have been on an upward trend since the early 1990s. Gross domestic product in Florida has also increased exponentially to around $1.08 trillion, according to The Bureau of Economic Analysis, and large corporations have been relocating operations to Florida. Citadel, a $51 billion hedge fund now based in Miami which employs around 1,000 people, relocated from Chicago citing safety concerns. CEO Ken Griffin announced in 2022 that Citadel and Citadel Securities would be relocating headquarters to South Florida and that many staff members had requested they also be transferred there. Wall Street electronic trading firm Virtu Financial Inc, announced in 2021 that they would be relocating to Palm Beach Gardens from New York City, with many of its employees saying in a survey that quality of life and long commute times made them prefer life in Florida over New York or New Jersey. Virtu’s Chief Executive Officer Doug Cifu said during an interview with Bloomberg, that employees automatically save 11% upon moving because of Florida’s no state income policy. In January, Los Angeles-based investment firm Colony Capital formally relocated its corporate headquarters from California to Boca Raton. Tech companies are also looking to move out of Silicon Valley, and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is actively driving Miami to become the next big tech hub. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
