Lawmakers want to call out AI in advertising but can’t decide how

(The Center Square) – The pitch from Pennsylvania Rep. Chris Pielli to fellow lawmakers about his bill is straightforward – “If it is AI, it has to say it is AI” – but there is nothing straightforward about the bill’s prospects.

The proposal from Pielli, a Chester County Democrat, is dubbed the Artificial Intelligence Transparency in Advertising Act. It essentially makes it illegal to disseminate advertising with AI-generated content without labelling it as such. The bill was approved in the House in a 124-78 vote on Wednesday, with 22 Republicans joining all Democrats in support.

It now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Pielli, a lawyer who joined the state House in early 2023, has been trying to get the concept into law for much of his tenure. A similar bill he sponsored passed the House in 2024 and died in the Senate.

And, as was the case in the 2023-24 session, the Se...