On Tuesday, several were focused on the threat artificial intelligence could have on American voters, during a joint hearing held by the election committees in the Senateand Assembly.
Much of the concern was grave.
“Easy to access tools empower campaigns, conspiracy theorists, foreign entities, and online trolls, to deceive and destabilize our information networks,” said Assemblywoman Gail Pellerin, D-Santa Cruz, chair of the Assembly Elections Committee.
She added: “The American public remains ill-prepared for this evolving threat.”
Michael Somers, a cybersecurity coordinator at the Secretary of State’s Office, told the lawmakers that new AI tools make it easier for people to make false information, do so rapidly and at a higher quality. One area of particular concern is the use of “deepfake technology” which can be used to manipulate images, audio or video in a way that spreads false information from what appears to be a trusted source, such as an election official.
“As artificial intelligence technology becomes more widely available, we know that AI will create additional challenges for communicating with the public about elections,” Somers said.
The agency has an office of elections cybersecurity, which monitors false or misleading information about elections that is published online or elsewhere.
“We can’t afford to not get this right in California,” Assemblyman Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, who authored the 2018 bill that created the office, said during the meeting.
Assemblyman Bill Essayli, R-Corona, was the only Republican who took part in the hearing. He feared that efforts to weed out fake information could infringe people’s First Amendment rights.
“There has to be breathing room for open debate and discourse that may include false ideas,” Essayli said.
The hearing was only informational and lawmakers took no action.
REP. FONG GETS HIS COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
New U.S. Rep. Vince Fong, R- Bakersfield, will serve on House of Representatives committees that cover wide ranging transportation and technology issues while he serves the remainder of retired Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s term.
Fong, 44, was appointed to the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Science, Space and Technology.
“Having served on the California Assembly Transportation Committee, I look forward to working with T&I Chairman Sam Graves and the entire committee to make needed investments in our communities’ roads, airports, and infrastructure to strengthen our critical supply chain to support farmers, ranchers, and local businesses,” Fong said in a statement Tuesday.
“In addition, given the technology advancements throughout our district, and especially in East Kern with NASA Armstrong and Mojave Air and Space Port, I am eager to advance legislative priorities with SST Chairman Frank Lucas and the committee to advance aerospace, commercial spaceflight, and STEM-related advances and opportunities throughout our region and across the nation,” he added.
Fong, McCarthy’s chosen successor, was sworn in to the House on Monday night after beating Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux, also a Republican, in a May special election. Fong will represent California’s 20th Congressional District for at least the next seven months, when McCarthy’s term was slated to expire.
He will likely secure a two-year term of his own to start in January 2025 after the November election for California’s 20th, a deeply red stretch of San Joaquin Valley.
Before becoming a congressman, Fong served his hometown in the California State Assembly since 2016.
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