On March 13, 2024, Senate Bill 131 for the Information Technology Act Amendments was signed by the Governor of Utah. This follows its introduction to the Utah State Senate on January 22, 2024.

The bill outlines notice requirements surrounding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in political advertising. The bill applies to 'synthetic audio media,' which is defined as 'audio content that was substantially produced by generative artificial intelligence.' The bill also applies to 'synthetic visual media,' which is defined as 'an image or video that was substantially produced by generative artificial intelligence.'

More specifically, the bill applies to audio or visual communication that:

• is paid for by a candidate campaign committee, political action committee, political issues committee, political party, or a person using a contribution;
• is intended to influence voting for or against a candidate or ballot proposition in an election or primary in Utah; and
• contains synthetic media.

Any audio communication described above that contains synthetic audio media must include audibly at the beginning and end of the communication the words, 'Contains content generated by AI.'

Whereas, the bill stipulates that a visual communication described above that contains synthetic visual media must include, in legible writing, the words:

• 'This video content generated by AI' if the content is a video that includes synthetic visual media but not synthetic audio media;
• 'This image generated by AI' if the content is an image that includes synthetic visual media but not synthetic audio media;
• 'This audio content generated by AI' if the video includes synthetic audio media but not synthetic visual media; or
• 'This content generated by AI' if the communication includes both synthetic audio media and synthetic visual media.

The bill will come into force on May 1, 2024.

You can read the bill and track its progress here.