New York: OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, is backing California’s proposed bill AB 3211, which would mandate tech companies to label AI-generated content. This content, spanning from harmless memes to deepfakes intended to spread political misinformation, poses significant concerns, especially in election years.
The bill has largely flown under the radar compared to another AI-focused piece of legislation in California, SB 1047, which requires developers to perform safety tests on their AI models. OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, opposes that bill, alongside other tech firms.
This legislative season saw California lawmakers introduce 65 AI-related bills, per the state’s legislative database. These proposals range from ensuring algorithmic decisions are unbiased to protecting the intellectual property of deceased individuals from being exploited by AI companies. However, many of these bills have failed to progress.
Despite its stance on SB 1047, OpenAI supports transparency measures for AI-generated content. The company emphasized that watermarking is crucial, particularly in election years. This sentiment was shared in a letter to Assembly member Buffy Wicks, who authored AB 3211.
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OpenAI’s Chief Strategy Officer, Jason Kwon, expressed that new technologies and standards can prevent confusion between human-created and AI-generated content, especially in a year where a third of the world’s population will be involved in elections. AI-generated content has already played a role in elections, notably in Indonesia.
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AB 3211 passed the state Assembly with a unanimous vote of 62-0 and cleared the Senate appropriations committee. It now awaits a full Senate vote. If it passes by August 31, it will head to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk for approval or veto by September 30.
