OpenAI Supports California Bill Mandatory 'Watermarking' In Synthetic Content In Election Year

Illustration of gambr accelerated by Dall-E 2 artificial intelligence (photo: x @_dschnurr)

JAKARTA - The technology company OpenAI, known as the ChatGPT developer, has expressed its support for the California Bill requiring technology companies to label content generated by artificial intelligence (AI). This content can be in the form of simple things such as memes to more serious content such as deepfakes that can be used to spread false information about political candidates.

The bill, known as AB 3211, previously lacked attention compared to another California AI Bill, SB 1047, which requires AI developers to carry out security testing on some of their models. SB 1047 has faced tough resistance from the tech industry, including from OpenAI, which is backed by Microsoft.

According to a letter sent by OpenAI to California State Assembly memberbully Wicks, who is also the initiator of Bill AB 3211, transparency and requirements related to content origins, such as providing watermarks on content generated by AI, are critical. This is particularly relevant in the election year, where AI content could potentially affect public opinion.

"New technology and standards can help people understand the origin of content they find online, and avoid confusion between human-generated content and very realistic AI content," wrote Jason Kwon, OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer, in the letter.

Bill AB 3211 has been approved by the California State Assembly unanimously, namely 62-0. Earlier this month, the bill also passed the Senate budgeting committee, so it is ready to be taken to a vote in the state Senate. If approved before the end of the legislative session on August 31, the bill will be submitted to Governor Gavin Newsom for signing or diveto no later than 30 September.

Experts are concerned about the role of content generated by AI in elections, especially with the large number of countries holding elections this year. AI content has been in the spotlight in several elections, such as in Indonesia, highlighting the importance of related regulations to maintain information integrity.