A Congressional Chat On AI To Include FEC, FCC Leaders

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The top Democrat of the Committee on House Administration was set to welcome top Federal Election Commission and FCC leaders to a Wednesday afternoon discussion about the impact artificial intelligence-powered content currently has on our elections and how one can protect the safety and security of future elections.

Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), who represents the area surrounding the city of Rochester, did not plan on leading a hearing. Rather, his plan was for a “roundtable” focused on “Artificial Intelligence and Elections.”

In a communique distributed just hours before the 3pm event in Room HC-6 of the U.S. Capitol, Morelle explained, “Earlier this year we witnessed how an AI-generated robocall attempted to manipulate and suppress voters in New Hampshire. Even more recently, a Michigan congressional candidate used an AI-generated voice to sound like the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had endorsed his congressional campaign. This roundtable will provide some of the nation’s top lawmakers and decisionmakers with an opportunity to discuss the importance of FCC and the FEC rules to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in election communications, as well as potential policy solutions that would combat election mis-and disinformation created by AI-generated communications.”

Scheduled to appear on behalf of the FCC is Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, while FEC Vice Chair Ellen Weintraub was also on the list of participants alongside Spencer Overton, a Patricia Roberts Harris Research Professor of Law at The George Washington University Law School. Additional Members of Congress were also scheduled to be on hand at the September 11 roundtable.