Lawmakers in Richmond wanted to require that political ads include a disclosure if they were made with AI. But that effort was changed into a new, speedy defamation review Monday morning.
Fairfax Democratic Senator Saddam Salim had hoped to require disclosure on political ads that use artificial intelligence. But a House committee Monday turned his bill into an anti-defamation law that asks courts to quickly review complaints related to allegedly false political ads instead.
“A candidate or an individual could go ahead and bring suit," Salim told Radio IQ. "And the courts would have to make it a priority to hear so that the information that’s inaccurate, it’s still not out there.”
The change came somewhat at the last minute, which isn’t uncommon with less than a week left in the 2026 General Assembly session. Committee chair Democratic Chesapeake Delegate Cliff Hayes said the bill was about keeping voters informed.
“We’re going to frame the bill as a tool to protect the integrity of elections to make sure voters aren’t manipulated,” Hayes told the committee.
The bill passed out of committee Monday morning, and with it will go a letter asking that the issue of AI political ads be studied before the 2027 lawmaking session.
But in the meantime, first amendment advocate and attorney John Coleman with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression still has concerns with the bill.
“It still invites candidates to address false speech against speakers rather than address it with more speech that allows voters rather than the courts to decide what’s correct.”
Coleman also warned the 30-day timeline for the courts to hear such claims was unrealistic - whether or not the rest of the legislature, and possibly Governor Abigail Spanberger, agrees remains to be seen.
