Gov. Jeff Landry has vetoed a bill that would have made it illegal to deceive voters with “deepfakes,” or false impersonations or depictions of a political candidate through audio or video manipulation techniques, Louisiana Illuminator reports.
House Bill 154, sponsored by Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, is one of 31 bills the governor has vetoed from the 2024 regular session.
The governor says in a letter explaining the veto that he believes the legislation could have infringed on the free speech rights of artificial intelligence companies.
“While I applaud the efforts to prevent false political attacks, I believe this bill creates serious First Amendment concerns as it relates to emerging technologies,” the governor writes. “The law is far from settled on this issue, and I believe more information is needed before such regulations are enshrined into law.”
The governor points to a resolution passed by the Legislature requesting the Joint Legislative Committee on Technology and Cybersecurity to study and make recommendations for the use and regulation of AI. A similar panel at the federal level is also studying the issue to “explore how Congress can ensure America continues to lead the world in AI innovation while considering guardrails that may be appropriate to safeguard the nation against current and emerging threats,” Gov. Landry adds.
