With the 2026 campaign season just around the corner, Vermont lawmakers are taking a step to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in political ads.
The Senate on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill requiring candidates and political groups to disclose the deceptive use of AI in ads.
The legislation wouldn't limit how AI video or audio can be used in political ads. But if the ad’s creators are using such technology with the intent of deceiving voters, the bill would require that the ad include a disclosure stating that “this media has been manipulated or generated by digital technology and depicts speech or conduct that did not occur.”
The legislation would require this disclosure for all ads released within 90 days of an election.
Addison County Sen. Ruth Hardy, the bill’s lead sponsor, said she sees it as a voter education initiative.
"It's extremely hard to tell what's real and what isn't, and I think we need to make sure that especially in the months leading up to an election that voters are aware that this information is not correct, that they are being manipulated,” Hardy said.
Lawmakers are trying to put these guardrails in place before intentionally deceptive campaign advertising becomes an issue in Vermont, Hardy said.
“We have very clean elections here. We all, for the most part, are running with good intentions and want to make sure it stays that way,” she said.
The bill still needs the governor’s approval, but it marks Vermont lawmakers’ first successful effort to advance AI-related legislation, according to Rep. Matt Birong, who chairs the House government operations committee.
"This horse shot out of the barn a long time ago and we're just being conscious and real about this next election cycle and just how rapidly the technology is advancing, so I see this as a first step,” Birong said.
According to the National Council of State Legislatures, 26 states have enacted laws regarding the use of artificial intelligence in campaign ads. Two states, Minnesota and Texas, have banned the use of these ads before an election.
But most of the states have adopted laws that are similar to the Vermont approach in calling for disclosure when AI has been knowingly used to deceive voters.
Some of these laws are being challenged in court on the grounds that they violate the First Amendment rights of the content providers.
Birong said this is why the Vermont bill was written with a narrow focus.
He noted that the bill does contain an exemption for campaign ads that are considered to be a satire or a parody. This is an approach taken by a number of states after California’s ban on A.I. parody use was overturned by a U.S. District Court judge in 2024.
This legislation gives the attorney general’s office the authority to enforce the provisions of the bill under Vermont’s Consumer Protection Law.
The bill now goes to Gov. Phil Scott for his signature. If it becomes law, it will be in effect for the 2026 campaign.
