Will Oklahoma join more than 30 other states regulating…

The Oklahoma Ethics Commission is currently evaluating the necessity of implementing new regulations regarding artificial intelligence-generated campaign advertisements. While over 30 states have already enacted legislation to address the use of deepfakes in elections, Oklahoma lawmakers have yet to take formal action, prompting concern from officials regarding the potential for voter manipulation.

What happened

The push for regulation gained momentum following a series of incidents during the lead-up to the June Republican Primary. A dark-money group known as Make Oklahoma Great Again released several television advertisements featuring deepfake content targeting gubernatorial candidates. One specific advertisement targeted Charles McCall, utilizing a deepfake to depict him with a banana in his pocket. This imagery served as a parody of an authentic campaign ad in which McCall chopped a banana while discussing his stance on sex changes for minors.

Additional ads produced by the same group targeted other political figures, including Mike Mazzei and State Attorney General Gentner Drummond, utilizing deepfake scenes to distort political messaging. Lee Anne Bruce Boone, head of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, noted that the commission began investigating the issue after receiving complaints from elected officials, campaign representatives, and members of the public regarding mailers and digital advertisements involving four different officeholders. Governor Kevin Stitt has publicly advocated for the need for regulation, stating that the use of technology to confuse or lie to voters crosses a line. Despite this, the state currently lacks the specific legal framework to curb these AI-driven tactics.