Governor Phil Scott signed S.23 into law on Thursday, legislation that sets strict rules for the use of artificial intelligence in Vermont’s elections. The new law requires that any campaign media featuring AI-generated images, audio, or video used within 90 days of an election must include a clear disclosure. It also establishes regulations on the creation of materially false AI-generated information for voters and mandates visible, easy-to-read disclosures for deepfakes of candidates.
The bill builds upon Vermont’s existing framework established by Act 161 in 2024, which criminalized the non-consensual disclosure of digitally altered sexually explicit images. S.23 extends protections into the political arena, addressing the growing use of AI-generated content designed to mislead voters.
The disclosure of the use of synthetic media in elections is an important step in protecting voters from misinformation that could affect the outcome of elections.
VPIRG’s Democracy Associate Quinn Houston said:
“Vermont voters deserve to know when AI is used to create or manipulate political content they see and hear, and this legislation makes that transparency a legal requirement.
Our support for this legislation is based on the belief that an informed electorate is the foundation of free and fair elections. When deceptive synthetic media can produce statements, images, and voices indistinguishable from reality, disclosure is not censorship; it is a safeguard for truth.
VPIRG applauds the enactment of this legislation, and we urge continued vigilance in protecting against AI-generated political disinformation in order to protect our democratic processes. S.23 is an important step, and it should not be the last.”