California Dems target AI campaign ads after Spencer Pratt and Steve Hilton’s viral political attacks

Two California Democrats have have called on Congress to slam the brakes on Hollywood-style AI campaign ads just as they become the norm for political campaigns.

US Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont) on Monday reintroduced the “AI Ads Act,” which is seeking to ban the fraudulent use of artificial intelligence to impersonate political candidates or committees in federal campaigns as AI-generated election content becomes more sophisticated.

The push comes just days after Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton unveiled a pair of AI-generated campaign ads attacking Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic nominee Xavier Becerra.

One featured a riff on the “Gladiator” franchise while the other pit Hilton against a “machine” supposedly representing Democratic Party’s grip on California politics.

Those videos followed a string of viral AI videos created by the campaign of former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt.

The ex-reality TV villain turned candidate was buoyed by the work of Los Angeles director Charles Curran, whose “Pratt Man” video riffed on the “Batman” franchise and led to millions of views.

Schiff, who originally introduced the legislation while serving in the House of Representatives, said the issue is non-partisan even if Republicans seem to have wielded AI-driven campaign videos to greater effect.

“AI-generated fraudulent advertising which uses the likeness or voices of candidates to misrepresent their positions, campaigns, or causes, or otherwise misrepresents a candidate’s point of view is not only wrong — it poses a serious threat to our democracy that should concern all Americans regardless of their party,” Schiff said.

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The bill would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act to explicitly prohibit fraudulent misrepresentation through content generated wholly or partly by artificial intelligence.

It would also broaden existing federal prohibitions by applying them to anyone falsely claiming to represent a candidate or political organization — and eliminate the requirement that a misrepresentation be shown to be “damaging” before enforcement could occur. 

The proposal closely tracks bipartisan recommendations issued by the Federal Election Commission in 2022 to modernize campaign fraud laws.

Khanna, a likely presidential candidate in 2028, said artificial intelligence should not be “used to mislead voters or undermine our democracy.”

Unlike many of the “deepfake” concerns driving lawmakers, the Hilton and Pratt videos relied on clearly fictional, stylized animation rather than realistic fabricated footage designed to appear authentic.

The AI Ads Act targets fraudulent impersonation of candidates or political organizations, including AI-generated content used to deceive voters or solicit campaign donations under false pretenses, rather than banning AI-generated political advertising altogether.

The legislation is backed by Common Cause, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Campaign Legal Center, Protect Democracy and Public Citizen.

More than 30 states have adopted laws addressing deceptive AI-generated election content, according to supporters of the measure, but Congress has yet to establish comparable nationwide standards for federal campaigns.

The bill’s prospects remain uncertain in a closely divided Congress, where lawmakers have repeatedly struggled to agree on broader AI regulations despite bipartisan concerns over the technology’s growing role in elections.