X sues California over deceptive AI-made election content ban

Elon Musk's X is suing California over a law targeting the dissemination of AI-generated election misinformation. Known as AB 2655, or the Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024, the law aims to restrict the sharing of materially deceptive audio or visual media of political candidates in the two months preceding an election.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed this legislation on September 17, setting accountability standards for false political speech produced with AI. X argues that the law, by potentially limiting the spread of false information, infringes on First Amendment protections, particularly tolerance for possibly false speech in political criticism.

This lawsuit follows ongoing debates in California about AI's use and regulation, which played a significant role in SAG-AFTRA's 2023 strike. The union eventually secured AI-related protections ensuring that studios cannot use actors' likenesses without permission or compensation. The state further addressed these concerns with AB 2602, prohibiting unauthorized use of personal likenesses.