In a remarkable effort to combat crime in the state of California, the legislature passed a stringent crime bill that Governor Gavin Newsom signed to enhance the quality of life for his constituents. What bold and insidious act has the Governor just addressed? Why, of course—the crime that leaves people terrified to venture out into the streets at night.

“Safeguarding the integrity of elections is essential to democracy, and it is critical that we ensure artificial intelligence is not used to undermine the public’s trust through disinformation—especially in today’s contentious political climate,” Newsom stated. “These measures will help combat the harmful use of deepfakes in political advertisements and other content, which is one of several areas in which the state is proactively working to promote transparent and trustworthy AI.”

So, now that we are all safe from such horror, what does it mean? Essentially, the California government is targeting satire and freedom of speech—two of the most important elements in a free republic.

The law, which is set to take effect immediately, makes it illegal to create and publish deepfakes related to elections 120 days before Election Day and 60 days thereafter. It also empowers courts to halt the distribution of such materials and impose civil penalties. Naturally, the state will allocate funds it does not possess to investigate these egregious acts of frivolity.

I understand what supporters might argue: “He isn’t banning satire; he’s only prohibiting ads that use AI to create harmful misinformation about people and campaigns. None of this is satire. I respond, “Who is to determine what constitutes satire and what does not?” It is, at the very least, a subjective matter.

No, this isn’t about restricting AI; it is about curtailing free speech and observing how the goalposts can be shifted. I have stated before, and I will reiterate, that California is the liberal petri dish where terrible ideas are introduced to see which ones thrive and which ones fail. Nothing that emerges from the California legislature is ever what it appears to be.

UPDATE: 09.19.2024 – Gov. Newsom was asked if he would seek legal action against Elon Musk for re-sharing the parody video after the law was signed:

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