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 real events or statements made by individuals. 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 content is deceptive and lacks the consent of the individual depicted, with the intent 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, audibly stated for audio, and prominently displayed for videos. Violations of this law could result in penalties ranging from a class C misdemeanor to a class A misdemeanor or class D felony, depending on the intent and scale of the violation. Additionally, the bill empowers the Attorney General and affected individuals to pursue civil actions against violators, seeking injunctive relief and damages. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.