NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – A new Louisiana law aims to protect voters from being deceived by AI-generated campaign communications.
“The new law is intended to prevent people from using AI to create fake voices, essentially impersonate people, provide fake messaging. We want to stop that so people aren’t getting tricked through these new advances in technology,” said Rep. Michael Bayham, who co-authored the new law with New Orleans Rep. Mandie Landry.
Campaign-related phone calls have long been a part of the campaign landscape.
Act 559 took effect in Louisiana on Aug. 1.
It says no person shall make or cause to be made any telephone call or automated call which is created using artificial intelligence, using the voice of a public figure, including an elected official or limited public figure, without providing a clear and understandable disclosure at the beginning of the call stating that it was created using artificial intelligence.
“They can’t wait until after the call’s done and there’s a gap of silence. People think the call’s over and hang up. This is to give people a heads up,” Bayham said.
In Louisiana and around the country, the midterm elections for Congress are less than two months away.
“Well, the challenge we’re having is that AI has gotten so good in the last year or so that it can mimic the human voice perfectly. It can mimic human images perfectly now,” said Robert Collins, a Dillard University political analyst.
Sometimes people have a hard time detecting AI-generated images or voices.
“The whole problem with artificial intelligence is that it allows people to mimic the human image and the human voice to an extent that the average voter cannot tell the difference,” Collins said.
In this age of AI, Collins said it is important that voters scrutinize campaign communications, including phone calls they receive.
“Even if there’s no disclaimer, they have to ask themselves, is this something that this candidate would really say based on what I know about this candidate and based on what I’ve seen them say or based on their campaign literature?” Collins stated.
He said deception in campaign hurts the electorate and the public at large.
“It could definitely corrupt the body politic. It could definitely corrupt democracy because democracy is dependent on people getting factual information and then acting on factual information,” said Collins.
Bayham says they want voters to remain engaged.
“We want to have it where people can have faith in our democracy and our elections and not have people so cynical that they don’t believe anything at all from anyone, which in turn leads to fewer people participating in elections,” said.
According to the new law, first-time violators may be punished with a civil fine up to $2,500 dollars.
For a second or subsequent violation, the civil fine shall not exceed $5,000.
The state Ethics Board will administer and enforce provisions of the new law.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.
Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.