Jackson Purchase News

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) expressed his reservations about the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on political speech during a Senate Rules Committee markup. He warned that the committee's actions could significantly alter the landscape of political discourse.

McConnell acknowledged the emergence of computer-generated 'deepfakes' video and audio, which have sparked valid concerns in the frontier of AI. However, he cautioned against Congress's approach to new technology, particularly when it involves limiting political speech.

The senator highlighted that each member has had experience running campaigns and dealing with instances where ads were taken down by broadcasters or challenged for their veracity. He noted that these activities fall within an existing legal framework that can also be applied to deepfakes.

However, McConnell expressed concern over bills being considered that could disrupt this framework and create new definitions extending beyond deepfakes. He cited Senator Hagerty's point from a hearing on AI in political speech, which argued that these definitions are nebulous at best and could lead to censorship if applied cynically.

McConnell also questioned whether politicians should have another tool to take down speech they dislike. If the amendment extends this authority to unpaid political speech, he warned it would mark an unprecedented extension of speech regulation in modern campaign finance history.

The senator voiced further concerns about disclaimer provisions and their application. Historically, the political disclaimer regime has served solely to help voters understand who is paying for or endorsing an advertisement. It has never been used as a content regulation tool for political advertisements.

He concluded by urging Congress to reach a consensus understanding of what acceptable AI is before imposing new regulations on speech. In light of these concerns, McConnell stated his opposition to S. 2770 or S. 3875 at this time and urged his colleagues to do the same.