California governor signs laws to crack down on election deepfakes created by AI

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed three bills Tuesday to crack down on the use of artificial intelligence to create false images or videos in political ads ahead of the 2024 election.

A new law, set to take effect immediately, makes it illegal to create and publish deepfakes related to elections 120 days before Election Day and 60 days thereafter. It also allows courts to stop distribution of the materials and impose civil penalties.

“Safeguarding the integrity of elections is essential to democracy, and it’s critical that we ensure AI is not deployed to undermine the public’s trust through disinformation -– especially in today’s fraught political climate,” Newsom said in a statement. "These measures will help to combat the harmful use of deepfakes in political ads and other content, one of several areas in which the state is being proactive to foster transparent and trustworthy AI.”

Large social media platforms are also required to remove the deceptive material under a first-in-the-nation law set to be enacted next year. Newsom also signed a bill requiring political campaigns to publicly disclose if they are running ads with materials altered by AI.

The governor signed the bills to loud applause during a conversation with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff at an event hosted the major software company during its annual conference in San Francisco.

The new laws reaffirm California’s position as a leader in regulating AI in the U.S., especially in combating election deepfakes. The state was the first in the U.S. to ban manipulated videos and pictures related to elections in 2019. Measures in technology and AI proposed by California lawmakers have been used as blueprints for legislators across the country, industry experts said.

With AI supercharging the threat of election disinformation worldwide, lawmakers across the country have raced to address the issue over concerns the manipulated materials could erode the public’s trust in what they see and hear.

“With fewer than 50 days until the general election, there is an urgent need to protect against misleading, digitally-altered content that can interfere with the election,” Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, author of the law banning election deepfakes, said in a statement. “California is taking a stand against the manipulative use of deepfake technology to deceive voters.”

Newsom's decision followed his vow in July to crack down on election deepfakes in response to a video posted by X-owner Elon Musk featuring altered images of Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

The new California laws come the same day as members of Congress unveiled federal legislation aiming to stop election deepfakes. The bill would give the Federal Election Commission the power to regulate the use of AI in elections in the same way it has regulated other political misrepresentation for decades. The FEC has started to consider such regulations after outlawing AI-generated robocalls aimed to discourage voters in February.

Newsom has touted California as an early adopter as well as regulator of AI, saying the state could soon deploy generative AI tools to address highway congestion and provide tax guidance, even as his administration considers new rules against AI discrimination in hiring practices.

He also signed two other bills Tuesday to protect Hollywood performers from unauthorized AI use without their consent.

Thousands make their way to the Moscone South Hall in preparation for keynote speakers, including Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, during Dreamforce in San Francisco on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Thousands enter Salesforce's Dreamforce National Park entrance at Moscone Center in San Francisco on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Thousands arrive for day one of the Dreamforce conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

David Newlander escorts visitors to and from the Dreamforce conference in San Francisco, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Thousands pack the Moscone South Hall in preparation for keynote speakers like CEO Marc Benioff during Dreamforce in San Francisco, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff speaks to thousands at the Moscone South Hall during Dreamforce in San Francisco, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

FILE - California Gov. Gavin Newsom meets with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and members of the California delegation at Oracle Park in San Francisco, July 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada, Pool, File)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Defenseman Sean Durzi got a taste of the NHL in Salt Lake City when he and the Kings played the Golden Knights in a 2022 preseason game.

Durzi had a goal and two assists in Los Angeles' 6-4 loss to Vegas, but more than his play on the ice, what stuck with him was the fans' passion that night even though they didn't have a home team to cheer on.

That will soon change. Delta Center now is the home to the Utah Hockey Club, which opens its first training camp Thursday after 28 seasons in the Phoenix area as the Coyotes.

“You come here on the road in the ‘Frozen Fury,' you get a great atmosphere," Durzi said. "But to know this is our home now, this is where we're going to be playing in front of such passionate fans, it's special.”

The club had its first media day Wednesday, another step in the process of completing the move from Arizona. Because there could be another form of the Coyotes in the future, Utah is calling itself as much of an expansion team as a relocated franchise, so all the club records and statistics begin anew.

In practical terms, though, this is mostly Arizona's old club that even general manager Bill Armstrong refers to as “the fourth year of the rebuild.”

In addition to the players, the front office also made the move from the triple-digit-degree days in the Valley of the Sun to the snowcapped mountains overlooking Salt Lake City thanks to Wednesday's fresh powder dump. The Jazz staff is handling the business side, such as marketing and ticket sales, with about 90 people being brought onboard to assist in those efforts.

There is renewed hope that maybe the franchise is — at long last — trending in the right direction. The Coyotes made the playoffs just once in their final 12 seasons. Perhaps more egregious, they spent their final two years playing in Arizona State University's rink as management tried in vain to get a deal done for a new arena to keep the team in the state.

Then Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith bought the club, moved it to Salt Lake and poured resources into making sure what the team lacked in Arizona it had in Utah. That included putting money into a top-level temporary practice facility rather than piecing one together until a permanent structure is completed in about a year.

Renovations were made to Delta Center with more planned later to improve all the sight lines and create a better overall fan experience. Capacity this season will be 11,131 with obstructed-view seats added for select games, and that baseline seating number will increase in future years.

“There's very clearly a buzz around our team, as there should be, and we're looking forward to jumping on that opportunity” forward Lawson Crouse said. “In the past in Arizona, a lot of things were up in the air with the arena situation. It's clear we now have a home, so we can move on from all those distractions and just go play hockey, and we're really looking forward to doing that.”

Forward Clayton Keller, who led the club in goals (33) assists (43) and points (78) last season, is the top returning player and at 26 is part of the young core that the club is building around. To supplement the players that have been homegrown through the draft, Utah also upgraded its defense by acquiring Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino within 10 minutes of each other at the NHL draft and later signing veteran Robert Bortuzzo.

Goalie Connor Ingram, who won the Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy for perseverance and sportsmanship last season, comes off a campaign in which he had a .907 save percentage with a 2.91 goals-against average.

Players and management speak in cautiously optimistic tones about what to expect this season, and Armstrong didn't shoot down the question whether Utah could be buyers at the trade deadline. After pointing out there's a lot of work to do between now and then, Armstrong added, "If that moment presents itself, we do have the assets to make things happen.”

Being in playoff contention would be quite an initial season for a franchise just entering the honeymoon phase with its new fan base.

Even before the club put season tickets up for sale, 34,000 deposits were placed. The team has sold just short of 4,500 season tickets that covers all 41 home games and another 8,000 half-season packages.

On a more anecdotal and personal level, there's the in-person feedback those on the team have received as they've started to become more involved in the community.

“The way we've been received by people, by people inside the organization of the Jazz, they show their excitement to all of us,” coach André Tourigny said. “From everybody, it's been really, really welcoming.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

Utah Hockey Club's Clayton Keller speaks during NHL hockey media day Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Utah Hockey Club general manager Bill Armstrong speaks during NHL hockey media day Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Utah Hockey Club coach Andre Tourigny speaks during NHL hockey media day Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Utah Hockey Club's Sean Durzi speaks during NHL hockey media day Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)