Meta To Ban Political Advertisers From Using AI Tools: Report

MENLO PARK, CA — Meta is banning political advertisers from using the Facebook parent company’s new generative AI products, Reuters reported Monday.

The move comes after President Joe Biden last week signed an executive order establishing AI guardrails such as requiring developers to share some information with the government and assigning agencies to create safety and security standards for AI tools and issue guidance on AI labeling and watermarking.

Earlier in October, Democrat legislators Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke of New York in a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and X CEO Linda Yaccarino expressed concern about AI content in political ads and sought information regarding the platforms’ efforts to prevent harm to fair elections.

“With the 2024 elections quickly approaching, a lack of transparency about this type of content in political ads could lead to a dangerous deluge of election-related misinformation and disinformation across your platforms — where voters often turn to learn about candidates and issues,” the letter said.

A month ago, Meta announced plans to grow access to AI advertising tools, according to Reuters.

However, the outlet reported that President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg has said Meta’s virtual assistant was blocked from generating photo-style AI images of public figures. The company has also committed to creating a watermark system for AI content, Reuters reported, and bans misleading AI video outside of parody and satire.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.