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.
The Legislature finds and declares that: a. Artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) presents enormous opportunities for breakthroughs in innovation, economic growth, education, and government service delivery that can significantly improve lives, but this rapidly developing technology may also create new risks and ethical dilemmas. b. The use of information from newsNews"News" means any written, oral, or pictorial information gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited or disseminated by, or on behalf of any person engaged in, engaged on, connected with or employed by a news media or other entity and so procured or obtained while such required relationship is in effect.Section 3(e) sources and professional journalists by artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) without appropriate credit or compensation represents a theft of intellectual property. c. While artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) can pull information from a newsNews"News" means any written, oral, or pictorial information gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited or disseminated by, or on behalf of any person engaged in, engaged on, connected with or employed by a news media or other entity and so procured or obtained while such required relationship is in effect.Section 3(e) source and generate content based on that data collection, it does not have the ability to engage in one-on-one investigative reporting like an actual journalist. d. The importance of the journalism industry in providing well-sourced and researched information cannot be understated. e. In October 2023, the Governor of New Jersey established the "Artificial IntelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) Task Force" to study the potential impacts of artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) on society and to prepare recommendations for government actions encouraging the ethical use of artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) technologies. f. It is in the interest of New Jersey citizens for the State to take further action to regulate artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e), particularly in the news mediaNews media"News media" means newspapers, magazines, press associations, news agencies, wire services, radio, television or other similar printed, photographic, mechanical or electronic means of disseminating news to the general public, and includes any person, corporation, partnership, proprietorship or other entity engaged on, engaged in, connected with, or otherwise employed in gathering, procuring, transmitting, compiling, editing, publishing, or disseminating news for the public, or on whose behalf news is so gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited, published or disseminated.Section 3(e) industry, in order to protect journalistic integrity and the responsible dissemination of newsNews"News" means any written, oral, or pictorial information gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited or disseminated by, or on behalf of any person engaged in, engaged on, connected with or employed by a news media or other entity and so procured or obtained while such required relationship is in effect.Section 3(e).
Section 1 sets out the Legislature's findings motivating the bill. It recognizes AI's potential benefits while expressing concern that AI use by news media without credit or compensation constitutes intellectual property theft. It notes that AI cannot replicate investigative journalism and references the Governor's 2023 Artificial Intelligence Task Force. These are non-operative findings that create no compliance obligations.
(a) There is established the Artificial IntelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) Task Force in the New Jersey Business Action Center established in the New Jersey Department of State pursuant to Reorganization Plan No. 003-2011. The purpose of the task force shall be to study the potential impacts of artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) on society, prepare recommendations for government actions encouraging the ethical use of artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) technologies, and any other purpose that the Secretary of State deems appropriate and relevant.
(b) The Task Force shall consist of co-chairs who are representatives from the Office of Information Technology Chief Technology Officer, the Office of Innovation Chief Innovation Officer, and the Economic Development Authority Chief Executive Officer, as well as the following members: the Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging; Commissioner of Education; the Secretary of Higher Education; the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development; the Director of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness; and the Attorney General; or their designees. The Governor may, as determined to be appropriate, appoint additional members to the Task Force. All members of the Task Force shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor and without compensation.
(c) 1 Within the Artificial IntelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) Task Force, there is established the "Artificial IntelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) In Communications Oversight Committee" for the purpose of preserving and protecting the authorship and work of members of the media impacted by the use of artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e). The committees shall consist of the members of the task force, as well as three representatives of news mediaNews media"News media" means newspapers, magazines, press associations, news agencies, wire services, radio, television or other similar printed, photographic, mechanical or electronic means of disseminating news to the general public, and includes any person, corporation, partnership, proprietorship or other entity engaged on, engaged in, connected with, or otherwise employed in gathering, procuring, transmitting, compiling, editing, publishing, or disseminating news for the public, or on whose behalf news is so gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited, published or disseminated.Section 3(e) entities and two professional journalists, each to be designated by the Governor. The committee's duties shall include: (1) crafting and recommending regulations and guidelines for artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) in the media field; (2) exploring whether artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) has replaced human journalists in any capacity in New Jersey; (3) studying wages and work standards as to any impact of artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) in the news mediaNews media"News media" means newspapers, magazines, press associations, news agencies, wire services, radio, television or other similar printed, photographic, mechanical or electronic means of disseminating news to the general public, and includes any person, corporation, partnership, proprietorship or other entity engaged on, engaged in, connected with, or otherwise employed in gathering, procuring, transmitting, compiling, editing, publishing, or disseminating news for the public, or on whose behalf news is so gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited, published or disseminated.Section 3(e) workforce; (4) examining the large-scale monitoring and data collection of artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e), potentially for the purpose of manipulating opinions and choices; and (5) on an annual basis, preparing and submitting a report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature regarding the committee's findings.
(d) The Secretary of State shall promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this section.
Section 2 codifies the Artificial Intelligence Task Force within the New Jersey Business Action Center and establishes within it the Artificial Intelligence In Communications Oversight Committee. The committee is charged with crafting regulatory recommendations, investigating whether AI has displaced journalists, studying wage impacts, examining AI-driven data collection and opinion manipulation, and submitting annual reports to the Governor and Legislature. The Secretary of State is directed to promulgate implementing rules and regulations.
The committee's duties are advisory and study-oriented — they do not impose direct compliance obligations on private entities. The annual reporting obligation falls on the committee itself as a governmental body.
(a) 2 Any news mediaNews media"News media" means newspapers, magazines, press associations, news agencies, wire services, radio, television or other similar printed, photographic, mechanical or electronic means of disseminating news to the general public, and includes any person, corporation, partnership, proprietorship or other entity engaged on, engaged in, connected with, or otherwise employed in gathering, procuring, transmitting, compiling, editing, publishing, or disseminating news for the public, or on whose behalf news is so gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited, published or disseminated.Section 3(e) or other entity disseminating newsNews"News" means any written, oral, or pictorial information gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited or disseminated by, or on behalf of any person engaged in, engaged on, connected with or employed by a news media or other entity and so procured or obtained while such required relationship is in effect.Section 3(e) or purporting to disseminate newsNews"News" means any written, oral, or pictorial information gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited or disseminated by, or on behalf of any person engaged in, engaged on, connected with or employed by a news media or other entity and so procured or obtained while such required relationship is in effect.Section 3(e) within the State may permit the use of artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) to assist its professionals and staff in investigating, researching, and reporting information, but shall be prohibited from using artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) in lieu of professionals and staff.
(b)(1)–(3) 3 Any news mediaNews media"News media" means newspapers, magazines, press associations, news agencies, wire services, radio, television or other similar printed, photographic, mechanical or electronic means of disseminating news to the general public, and includes any person, corporation, partnership, proprietorship or other entity engaged on, engaged in, connected with, or otherwise employed in gathering, procuring, transmitting, compiling, editing, publishing, or disseminating news for the public, or on whose behalf news is so gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited, published or disseminated.Section 3(e) or other entity disseminating newsNews"News" means any written, oral, or pictorial information gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited or disseminated by, or on behalf of any person engaged in, engaged on, connected with or employed by a news media or other entity and so procured or obtained while such required relationship is in effect.Section 3(e) or purporting to disseminate newsNews"News" means any written, oral, or pictorial information gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited or disseminated by, or on behalf of any person engaged in, engaged on, connected with or employed by a news media or other entity and so procured or obtained while such required relationship is in effect.Section 3(e) within the State that uses generative AI content, regardless of what entity or mechanism produced it, shall disclose the following: (1) a prominently displayed label indicating that the content is generative AI; (2) credit to any source used to produce the content; and (3) a disclaimer that the content may not accurately reflect the source material from which it was produced.
(c) Any person who reasonably believes that an entity is using artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) in violation of subsection a. or b. of this section may report the suspected violation to the Attorney General.
(d) Any entity that violates the provisions of this act shall be subject to a civil penalty of $10,000 for the first violation; $20,000 for the second violation; and $30,000 for the third and any subsequent violation, collectible by the Attorney General in a summary proceeding pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). For the purposes of this section, each: (1) instance of a news mediaNews media"News media" means newspapers, magazines, press associations, news agencies, wire services, radio, television or other similar printed, photographic, mechanical or electronic means of disseminating news to the general public, and includes any person, corporation, partnership, proprietorship or other entity engaged on, engaged in, connected with, or otherwise employed in gathering, procuring, transmitting, compiling, editing, publishing, or disseminating news for the public, or on whose behalf news is so gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited, published or disseminated.Section 3(e) or other entity using AI in lieu or professionals or staff shall constitute a separate and distinct violation; and (2) each piece of content produced by generative AI that fails to meet the requirements of subsection b. of this section shall constitute a separate and distinct violation.
(e) As used in this section: "Artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e)" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligenceGenerative artificial intelligence"Generative artificial intelligence" or "generative AI" means a type of artificial intelligence that can create new content and ideas, such as images and videos, and also reuse information it has retained to address new problems.Section 3(e), which generates new content in response to user inputs of data. "Generative artificial intelligenceGenerative artificial intelligence"Generative artificial intelligence" or "generative AI" means a type of artificial intelligence that can create new content and ideas, such as images and videos, and also reuse information it has retained to address new problems.Section 3(e)" or "generative AI" means a type of artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence"Artificial intelligence" or "AI" means the development of software and hardware and the end-use application of technologies that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, including, but not limited to, visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, translation between languages, and generative artificial intelligence, which generates new content in response to user inputs of data.Section 3(e) that can create new content and ideas, such as images and videos, and also reuse information it has retained to address new problems. "NewsNews"News" means any written, oral, or pictorial information gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited or disseminated by, or on behalf of any person engaged in, engaged on, connected with or employed by a news media or other entity and so procured or obtained while such required relationship is in effect.Section 3(e)" means any written, oral, or pictorial information gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited or disseminated by, or on behalf of any person engaged in, engaged on, connected with or employed by a news mediaNews media"News media" means newspapers, magazines, press associations, news agencies, wire services, radio, television or other similar printed, photographic, mechanical or electronic means of disseminating news to the general public, and includes any person, corporation, partnership, proprietorship or other entity engaged on, engaged in, connected with, or otherwise employed in gathering, procuring, transmitting, compiling, editing, publishing, or disseminating news for the public, or on whose behalf news is so gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited, published or disseminated.Section 3(e) or other entity and so procured or obtained while such required relationship is in effect. "News mediaNews media"News media" means newspapers, magazines, press associations, news agencies, wire services, radio, television or other similar printed, photographic, mechanical or electronic means of disseminating news to the general public, and includes any person, corporation, partnership, proprietorship or other entity engaged on, engaged in, connected with, or otherwise employed in gathering, procuring, transmitting, compiling, editing, publishing, or disseminating news for the public, or on whose behalf news is so gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited, published or disseminated.Section 3(e)" means newspapers, magazines, press associations, newsNews"News" means any written, oral, or pictorial information gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited or disseminated by, or on behalf of any person engaged in, engaged on, connected with or employed by a news media or other entity and so procured or obtained while such required relationship is in effect.Section 3(e) agencies, wire services, radio, television or other similar printed, photographic, mechanical or electronic means of disseminating newsNews"News" means any written, oral, or pictorial information gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited or disseminated by, or on behalf of any person engaged in, engaged on, connected with or employed by a news media or other entity and so procured or obtained while such required relationship is in effect.Section 3(e) to the general public, and includes any person, corporation, partnership, proprietorship or other entity engaged on, engaged in, connected with, or otherwise employed in gathering, procuring, transmitting, compiling, editing, publishing, or disseminating newsNews"News" means any written, oral, or pictorial information gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited or disseminated by, or on behalf of any person engaged in, engaged on, connected with or employed by a news media or other entity and so procured or obtained while such required relationship is in effect.Section 3(e) for the public, or on whose behalf newsNews"News" means any written, oral, or pictorial information gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited or disseminated by, or on behalf of any person engaged in, engaged on, connected with or employed by a news media or other entity and so procured or obtained while such required relationship is in effect.Section 3(e) is so gathered, procured, transmitted, compiled, edited, published or disseminated.
(f) The Attorney General shall promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this section.
Section 3 contains the bill's core private-sector obligations. Subsection (a) permits news media entities to use AI as an assistive tool but prohibits using AI in lieu of human professionals and staff — effectively banning full automation of journalism functions. Subsection (b) requires that any generative AI content disseminated by news media carry three disclosures: a prominent label identifying the content as generative AI, credit to source material, and a disclaimer regarding accuracy.
Subsection (c) creates a complaint mechanism: any person who reasonably believes a violation has occurred may report it to the Attorney General, though no private right of action is established. Subsection (d) sets escalating civil penalties — $10,000 for a first violation, $20,000 for a second, and $30,000 for subsequent violations — with each instance of replacement or non-compliant content piece counting as a separate violation. Subsection (e) defines key terms, and subsection (f) directs the Attorney General to promulgate implementing rules.
This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following the date of enactment, except that Attorney General and the Secretary of State may take such anticipatory administrative action as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
Section 4 provides that the act takes effect on the first day of the seventh month following enactment, with an exception allowing the Attorney General and Secretary of State to take anticipatory administrative action necessary to implement the act.