Google to Require Election Advertisers to Disclose AI-Generated Content

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Google will require election advertisers to disclose data on artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content that may inauthentically depict real or realistic-looking people and events from mid-November, the company announced.

"In mid-November 2023, we are updating our Political content policy to require that all verified election advertisers in regions where verification is required must prominently disclose when their ads contain synthetic content that inauthentically depicts real or realistic-looking people or events," Google said in a statement on Wednesday.

The IT giant also said that this disclosure should be "clear and conspicuous," and should be placed in a location where it is "likely to be noticed by users," adding that the updated policy will apply to image, video and audio content.

At the same time, ads that include AI-generated content that has been "altered or generated in such a way that is inconsequential to the claims made in the ad," will be exempt from disclosure requirements, the statement read. This type of content includes editing techniques (image resizing, cropping, color and defect corrections and others) or background edits that do not create "realistic depictions of actual event," the document added.

Google requires election coverage verification for advertisers in the United Kingdom, United States, Brazil, Israel, the European Union, and other countries.