WHAT THIS BILL REGULATES · 1 REQUIREMENT TYPE
How Is This Bill Enforced
Verbatim statutory text on the left; plain-language analysis and a per-section checklist on the right. Numbered markers cross-link to the matching checklist row.
Section 1 Section 1 of chapter 50 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the definition of "Aldermen" the following definition:- "Artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI", the capability of a computer system to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, content generation and decision-making.G.L. c. 50, § 1 (as amended by Section 1)" or "AI", the capability of a computer system to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, content generation and decision-making.
Section 2 Said section 1 of said chapter 50, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the definition of "Federal act" the following definition:- "Generative artificial intelligenceGenerative artificial intelligence"Generative artificial intelligence", artificial intelligence technology capable of creating content, including, but not limited to, text, audio, image or video based on patterns learned from large volumes of data rather than being explicitly programmed with rules.G.L. c. 50, § 1 (as amended by Section 2)", artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI", the capability of a computer system to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, content generation and decision-making.G.L. c. 50, § 1 (as amended by Section 1) technology capable of creating content, including, but not limited to, text, audio, image or video based on patterns learned from large volumes of data rather than being explicitly programmed with rules.
Section 3 Said section 1 of said chapter 50, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the definition of "State officer" the following definition:- "Synthetic mediaSynthetic media"Synthetic media", audio or video content substantially produced by generative artificial intelligence.G.L. c. 50, § 1 (as amended by Section 3)", audio or video content substantially produced by generative artificial intelligenceGenerative artificial intelligence"Generative artificial intelligence", artificial intelligence technology capable of creating content, including, but not limited to, text, audio, image or video based on patterns learned from large volumes of data rather than being explicitly programmed with rules.G.L. c. 50, § 1 (as amended by Section 2).
Sections 1 through 3 of the bill insert three new defined terms into the Massachusetts election-law definitions chapter. Artificial intelligence is defined broadly as computer-system capability to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence. Generative artificial intelligence is a subset — AI technology capable of creating content from learned patterns rather than explicit programming. Synthetic media is audio or video content substantially produced by generative AI, and serves as the operative trigger for the disclosure obligations in Section 4.
(a) 1 Any audio or video communication that: (i) is paid for by a candidate campaign committee, political action committee, political issues committee, political party or a person using a contribution; (ii) is intended to influence voting for or against a candidate or ballot proposition in an election or primary; and (iii) contains synthetic mediaSynthetic media"Synthetic media", audio or video content substantially produced by generative artificial intelligence.G.L. c. 50, § 1 (as amended by Section 3) shall include: (1) at the beginning and end of the communication the words "contains content generated by AI"; and (2) throughout the duration of each portion of the communication containing synthetic mediaSynthetic media"Synthetic media", audio or video content substantially produced by generative artificial intelligence.G.L. c. 50, § 1 (as amended by Section 3) the words: (A) "This video content was generated by AI", if the communication includes only video synthetic mediaSynthetic media"Synthetic media", audio or video content substantially produced by generative artificial intelligence.G.L. c. 50, § 1 (as amended by Section 3); provided, that the words shall be in legible writing; (B) "This audio content was generated by AI", if the communication includes only audio synthetic mediaSynthetic media"Synthetic media", audio or video content substantially produced by generative artificial intelligence.G.L. c. 50, § 1 (as amended by Section 3); provided, that the words shall be in a clearly spoken manner; or (C) "This content was generated by AI", if the communication includes both video and audio synthetic mediaSynthetic media"Synthetic media", audio or video content substantially produced by generative artificial intelligence.G.L. c. 50, § 1 (as amended by Section 3); provided, that the words shall be in legible writing.
(b) 1 A violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000. Compliance with this section shall not exempt a person from civil or criminal liability for a violation of other applicable law.
Section 70 is the bill's sole operative provision. It requires any paid political audio or video communication that contains synthetic media to include prescribed AI-disclosure language in two forms: a bookend statement at the beginning and end of the communication, and a continuous inline label throughout each synthetic-media segment. The inline label language varies depending on whether the synthetic media is video-only, audio-only, or combined audio-video. The obligation applies when three conditions are met: the communication is paid for by a defined political entity or person using a contribution; it is intended to influence voting; and it contains synthetic media.
Subsection (b) sets the penalty at a fine of not more than $1,000 and expressly preserves liability under other applicable law — meaning that compliance with this section does not immunize a person from separate civil or criminal liability for deceptive political advertising.