Schiff and Khanna Revive AI Ads Act to Ban Deceptive Political Deepfakes in Federal Campaigns

Lawmakers Target Fraudulent Use of AI in Federal Campaigns

Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Ro Khanna have reintroduced the AI Ads Act, legislation designed to ban deceptive political deepfakes and fraudulent AI-generated content in federal elections1

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. The California Democrats warn that AI-generated campaign ads using a candidate's voice or likeness to misrepresent their positions pose serious threats to democratic integrity. Schiff emphasized the urgency in a post on X, stating: "We cannot allow AI to further blur the line between fact and fiction in political campaigns"1

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. The timing is notable, arriving just days after Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton released AI-generated attack ads targeting Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats, while former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt gained millions of views with AI-driven campaign videos2

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How the AI Ads Act Would Combat AI Election Risks

The proposed legislation would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act to explicitly prohibit fraudulent misrepresentation through content generated wholly or partly by artificial intelligence2

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. The AI Ads Act expands existing federal prohibitions on fraudulent political misrepresentation to cover AI in elections more comprehensively1

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. Crucially, the bill would broaden restrictions on individuals falsely claiming to represent candidates, political committees or political organizations, and eliminate the requirement that deceptive communications must be "damaging" to violate the law1

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. Ro Khanna emphasized the legislation's focus: "AI will transform our lives and our society in many ways, but it can't be used to mislead voters or undermine our democracy"1

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. The proposal targets fraudulent impersonation of candidates or political organizations, including content used to deceive voters or solicit campaign donations under false pretenses, rather than banning AI-generated political advertising altogether2

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Growing Concerns Over Misinformation and Influence Operations

The AI Ads Act has garnered support from advocacy groups including Common Cause, Public Citizen, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Campaign Legal Center, and Protect Democracy1

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. These organizations argue the measure would help safeguard federal elections from increasingly sophisticated deceptive AI-generated political deepfakes. The concerns extend beyond domestic campaigns. In June, OpenAI reported disrupting alleged Chinese influence operations that used ChatGPT to generate social media posts intended to sway U.S. conversations on tariffs, AI and data centers1

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. Mark Cuban warned in January that the 2026 election could become the first "AI-driven election season," with algorithms playing an increasingly influential role in shaping public opinion1

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. More than 30 states have adopted laws addressing deceptive AI-generated election content, but Congress has yet to establish comparable nationwide standards for federal campaigns2

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. 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 elections2

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