The proposed legislation, General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6846, aims to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other methods for generating deceptive synthetic media, particularly in the context of elections. The bill defines key terms such as "artificial intelligence," "candidate," and "deceptive synthetic media," which refers to manipulated images, audio, or video that could mislead viewers into believing they depict an individual’s actual appearance or speech. Under the new law, it will be prohibited to distribute such deceptive media during the ninety days leading up to an election or primary if the distributor knows or should reasonably know that the media is deceptive, lacks the consent of the individual depicted, and is intended to harm a candidate or influence election outcomes.

However, the bill allows for certain exceptions where deceptive synthetic media can be distributed, provided that appropriate disclaimers are included to inform viewers of the manipulation. For instance, disclaimers must be clearly visible for images, read aloud for audio, and displayed prominently for videos. Violations of this law could result in penalties ranging from a class C misdemeanor to a class D felony, depending on the intent and scale of the violation. Additionally, the Attorney General, candidates, or individuals harmed by such deceptive media can pursue civil actions for injunctive relief or damages. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.