WHAT THIS BILL REGULATES · 2 REQUIREMENT TYPES
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.
1 For purposes of this section, the following terms mean: (1) "Generative artificial intelligenceGenerative artificial intelligence"Generative artificial intelligence" or "generative AI", a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, emulate the structure and characteristics of input data in order to generate derived synthetic content including images, videos, audio, text, and other multi-media digital content;§ 130.165(1)(1)" or "generative AI", a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, emulate the structure and characteristics of input data in order to generate derived synthetic content including images, videos, audio, text, and other multi-media digital content; (2) "MetadataMetadata"Metadata", structural or descriptive information about data such as content, format, source, rights, accuracy, provenance, periodicity, granularity, publisher or responsible party, contact information, method of collection, and other relevant descriptions of the data.§ 130.165(1)(2)", structural or descriptive information about data such as content, format, source, rights, accuracy, provenance, periodicity, granularity, publisher or responsible party, contact information, method of collection, and other relevant descriptions of the data.
2(1)–(2) 1 A political advertisement, electioneering communication, or other miscellaneous advertisement of a political nature shall, in addition to any other disclaimer required by this chapter, contain the disclaimer described in subdivision (2) of this subsection if it contains images, video, audio, graphics, or other digital content created, in whole or in part, with the use of generative artificial intelligenceGenerative artificial intelligence"Generative artificial intelligence" or "generative AI", a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, emulate the structure and characteristics of input data in order to generate derived synthetic content including images, videos, audio, text, and other multi-media digital content;§ 130.165(1)(1) and: (a) Appears to depict a real person performing an action that did not actually occur; (b) Manipulates the voice or actions of a candidate to show the candidate, audibly or visually, doing or saying something that the candidate did not do or say; or (c) Was created with intent to injure a candidate or to deceive voters regarding an election or ballot issue. (2) The disclaimer required by subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be in substantially the following form: Created in whole or in part with the use of generative artificial intelligenceGenerative artificial intelligence"Generative artificial intelligence" or "generative AI", a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, emulate the structure and characteristics of input data in order to generate derived synthetic content including images, videos, audio, text, and other multi-media digital content;§ 130.165(1)(1) (AI). This (image/audio/video/multimedia) has been edited and depicts speech or conduct that falsely appears to be authentic or truthful.
2(3) 1 The disclaimer required by subdivision (1) of this subsection shall meet the following specifications: (a) For a printed communication, the disclaimer shall be stated in bold font with a font size of at least twelve points; (b) For a television or video communication, the disclaimer shall be clearly readable throughout the communication and occupy at least four percent of the vertical picture height; (c) For an internet public communication that includes text or graphic components, the disclaimer shall be viewable without the user taking any action and be large enough to be clearly readable; (d) For any audio component of a communication, the disclaimer shall be at least three seconds in length and spoken in a clearly audible and intelligible manner at either the beginning or the end of the audio component of the communication; (e) For a graphic communication, the disclaimer shall be large enough to be clearly readable but no less than four percent of the vertical height of the communication.
3 2 The metadata of the communication shall include the disclosure statement, the identity of the tool used to create the communication, and the date and time the communication was created.
4 3 The disclosure statement, including the disclosure statement in any metadataMetadata"Metadata", structural or descriptive information about data such as content, format, source, rights, accuracy, provenance, periodicity, granularity, publisher or responsible party, contact information, method of collection, and other relevant descriptions of the data.§ 130.165(1)(2), shall, to the extent technically feasible, be permanent or unable to be easily removed by a subsequent user.
5 4 In addition to any civil penalties provided by this chapter, a person identified pursuant to a disclaimer required by law as paying for, sponsoring, or approving a political advertisement, an electioneering communication, or other miscellaneous advertisement of a political nature that is required to contain the disclaimer prescribed in this section and who fails to include the required disclaimer is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
Section 130.165 creates Missouri's first AI-specific election communication disclosure regime. It requires any political advertisement, electioneering communication, or other political communication that uses generative AI to depict fabricated actions, manipulate a candidate's voice or conduct, or deceive voters to carry a prescribed disclaimer in a format tailored to the communication medium — print, television/video, internet, audio, or graphic. The disclaimer language is substantive: it states the content was created with generative AI and that the depicted speech or conduct "falsely appears to be authentic or truthful."
Beyond the visible disclaimer, the bill requires the communication's metadata to include the disclosure statement, the identity of the AI tool used, and the creation timestamp. Both the visible disclaimer and the metadata disclosure must be permanent or technically difficult to remove. Criminal liability — a class A misdemeanor — attaches to the identified sponsor or approver who fails to include the required disclaimer, in addition to any civil penalties already available under Chapter 130.