West Virginia
State lawmakers eye promise, pitfalls of AI ahead of November elections • West Virginia Watch
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Inside a white-walled conference room, a speaker surveyed hundreds of state lawmakers and policy influencers, asking whether artificial intelligence poses a threat to the elections in their states.
The results were unambiguous: 80% of those who answered a live poll said yes. In a follow-up question, nearly 90% said their state laws weren’t adequate to deter those threats.
It was among the many exchanges on artificial intelligence that dominated sessions at last week’s meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures, the largest annual gathering of lawmakers, in Louisville.
“It’s the topic du jour,” Kentucky state Sen. Whitney Westerfield, a Republican, told lawmakers as he kicked off one of many panels centering on AI. “There are a lot of discussions happening in all of our state legislatures across the country.”
While some experts and lawmakers celebrated the promise of AI to advance services in health care and education, others lamented its potential to disrupt the democratic process with just months to go before November’s elections. And lawmakers compared the many types of legislation they’re proposing to tackle the issue.
This presidential election cycle is the first since generative AI — a form of artificial intelligence that can create new images, audio and video — became widely available. That’s raised alarms over deepfakes, remarkably convincing but fake videos or images that can portray anyone, including candidates, in situations that didn’t occur or saying things they didn’t.
“We need to do something to make sure the voters understand what they’re doing,” said Kentucky state Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe.
The Republican lawmaker, who chairs a special legislative task force on AI, co-sponsored a bipartisan bill this year aimed at limiting the use of deepfakes to influence elections. The bill would have allowed candidates whose appearance, action or speech was altered through “synthetic media” in an election communication to take its sponsor to court. The state Senate unanimously approved the proposal but it stalled in the House.
While Bledsoe expects to bring the bill up again next session, she acknowledged how complex the issue is: Lawmakers are trying to balance the risks of the evolving technology against their desire to promote innovation and protect free speech.
“You don’t want to go too fast,” she said in an interview, “but you also don’t want to be too behind.”
Rhode Island state Sen. Dawn Euer, a Democrat, told Stateline she’s concerned about AI’s potential to amplify disinformation, particularly across social media.
“Election propaganda and disinformation has been part of the zeitgeist for the existence of humanity,” said Euer, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Now, we have high-tech tools to do it.”
Connecticut state Sen. James Maroney, a Democrat, agreed that concerns about AI’s effects on elections are legitimate. But he emphasized that most deepfakes target women with digitally generated nonconsensual intimate images or revenge porn. Research firm Sensity AI has tracked online deepfake videos for years, finding 90% of them are nonconsensual porn, mostly targeting women.
Maroney sponsored legislation this year that would have regulated artificial intelligence and criminalized deepfake porn and false political messaging. That bill passed the state Senate, but not the House. Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont opposed the measure, saying it was premature and potentially harmful to the state’s technology industry.
While Maroney has concerns about AI, he said the upsides far outweigh the risks. For example, AI can help lawmakers communicate with constituents through chatbots or translate messaging into other languages.
Top election officials on AI
During one session in Louisville, New Hampshire Republican Secretary of State David Scanlan said AI could improve election administration by making it easier to organize election statistics or get official messaging out to the public.
Still, New Hampshire experienced firsthand some of the downside of the new technology earlier this year when voters received robocalls that used artificial intelligence to imitate President Joe Biden’s voice to discourage participation in a January primary.
Prosecutors charged the political operative who allegedly organized the fake calls with more than a dozen crimes, including voter suppression, and the Federal Communications Commission proposed a $6 million fine against him.
While the technology may be new, Scanlan said election officials have always had to keep a close eye on misinformation about elections and extreme tactics by candidates or their supporters and opponents.
“You might call them dirty tricks, but it has always been in candidates’ arsenals, and this really was a form of that as well,” he said. “It’s just more complex.”
The way state officials responded, by quickly identifying the calls as fake and investigating their origins, serves as a playbook for other states ahead of November’s elections, said Cait Conley, a senior adviser at the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency focused on election security.
“What we saw New Hampshire do is best practice,” she said during the presentation. “They came out quickly and clearly and provided guidance, and they really just checked the disinformation that was out there.”
Kentucky Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams told Stateline that AI could prove challenging for swing states in the presidential election. But he said it may still be too new of a technology to cause widespread problems for most states.
“Of the 99 things that we chew our nails over, it’s not in the top 10 or 20,” he said in an interview. “I don’t know that it’s at a maturity level that it’ll be utilized everywhere.”
Adams this year received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for championing the integrity of elections despite pushback from fellow Republicans. He said AI is yet another obstacle facing election officials who already must combat challenges including disinformation and foreign influence.
More bills coming
With an absence of congressional action, states have increasingly sought to regulate the quickly evolving world of AI on their own.
NCSL this year tracked AI bills in at least 40 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Washington, D.C.
Without a doubt, artificial intelligence is being used to sow disinformation and misinformation, and I think as we get closer to the election, we’ll see a lot more cases of it being used.
– Texas Republican state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione
As states examine the issue, many are looking at Colorado, which this year became the first state to create a sweeping regulatory framework for artificial intelligence. Technology companies opposed the measure, worried it will stifle innovation in a new industry.
Colorado Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, a Democrat who sponsored the bill, said lawmakers modeled much of their language on European Union regulations to avoid creating mismatched rules for companies using AI. Still, the law will be examined by a legislative task force before going into effect in 2026.
“It’s a first-in-the nation bill, and I’m under no illusion that it’s perfect and ready to go,” he said. “We’ve got two years.”
When Texas lawmakers reconvene next January, state Rep. Giovanni Capriglione expects to see many AI bills flying.
A Republican and co-chair of a state artificial intelligence advisory council, Capriglione said he’s worried about how generative AI may influence how people vote — or even if they vote — in both local and national elections.
“Without a doubt, artificial intelligence is being used to sow disinformation and misinformation,” he said, “and I think as we get closer to the election, we’ll see a lot more cases of it being used.”
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
West Virginia (5-5, 4-3) will close out the home portion of their 2024 campaign next Saturday when they play host to the UCF Knights (4-6, 2-5).
Although the Mountaineers appear to be the better team on paper, the sportsbooks don’t like their chances in this matchup with one of the newer members of the Big 12.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, UCF is currently a 2.5-point favorite, with the over/under set at 64.5.
I always say they don’t build those massive, fancy buildings in the desert for nothing. However, I struggle to see how the Mountaineers are the underdog in this game. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t be shocked if this eventually flips to WVU as the favorite, or at least down to a pick’em.
The Knights are going to rely on its ground game, and that’s the one thing the Mountaineers have done well all year on the defensive side of the ball. UCF doesn’t throw the ball a whole lot, and I expect that even against a soft pass defense, Gus Malzahn will be stubborn and rely on the ground game to get the job done.
Plus, it’s also senior day for West Virginia. The season has not gone the way anyone had anticipated it, but they still have a chance to end the year on a strong note by winning these final two games and taking whichever bowl game they get invited to play in.
Quarterback Garrett Greene has gone through on-field struggles and injuries all year long, causing the fanbase to want redshirt sophomore Nicco Marchiol to take over the reins of the offense, who has won each of his two starts. Even if West Virginia’s last two games were on the road, I don’t believe Neal Brown would make a switch. He seems content with riding out the rest of the season with his senior.
With it being Greene’s final game, you’d have to think he’s going to go out a winner. Whether he actually does or not remains to be seen, but when you stack these two teams side by side and look at the situation, I think it favors the Mountaineers.
West Virginia is 4-6 against the spread this season.
The total has gone OVER in four of West Virginia’s last five games.
The Mountaineers are 1-5 against the spread in their last six games played at home.
Eight of West Virginia’s last 10 Big 12 Conference game have gone OVER the total.
The total has gone OVER in each of West Virginia’s last five games played in the month of November.
UCF is 2-5 against the spread in their last seven games played.
The total has gone OVER in eight of UCF’s last ten games.
The Knights have won nine of their last twelve games played in the month of November.
UCF has lost four of its last five games played on the road.
UCF has lost six of its last seven games straight up.
MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI
Between The Eers: The Morning After Baylor
Big 12 Power Rankings – Week 13
Sunday Morning Thoughts: West Virginia Deserves Better
Mountaineer Postgame Show: Baylo 49, WVU 35
West Virginia won’t have wide receiver Traylon Ray for the remainder of the season.
Ray was injured with 5:41 remaining in the third quarter against Baylor and he was carted off the field with a leg injury after hauling in 3 catches for 22 yards and a touchdown. The sophomore entered the game as the leading receiver for the Mountaineers with 25 catches for 404 yards and 3 scores.
The injury will cost him the final two regular season games and a potential bowl match up.
“Yeah, he won’t be back this year. Yeah, he will not be back. It’s bad. He’ll recover. He’ll be fine, but he won’t play this year,” head coach Neal Brown said.
The injury is one that will affect West Virginia in a variety of ways as Ray was one of the most reliable pass catchers on the roster and was especially adept at winning against man coverage. It also made things difficult in the moment because of the nature of how it unfolded.
“It not only hurt us because he was winning a lot, but it hurt us emotionally. We had some guys that really struggled with that because it was visible on the field what the injury was and our skill groups really close and that emotionally that was tough to overcome,” Brown said.
That was evident when the entire offense came over to the cart to see Ray.
It was something similar to what the Mountaineers dealt with after Trey Lathan was injured against TCU last season but the game continued and the players had to regroup quickly.
“I think the guys did a pretty good job of kind of flushing that and then, you know, just kind of trying to go make plays and do their jobs for No. 7,” quarterback Garrett Greene said.
The Mountaineers have two games remaining and will need other pass catchers to step in his absence. That will likely come in the form of transfer wide receiver Justin Robinson who has played well at times on top of potentially welcoming back another transfer in Jaden Bray who has missed time due to injury.
Both of those players are going to be asked to step into a bigger role beside Hudson Clement.
“I think that’s the one that really has to step up. I hope we get Jaden Bray back this week. If we can get him back that’ll help,” Brown said.
Following Saturday evening’s loss to Baylor, the West Virginia Mountaineers are virtually out of the Big 12 Conference title race.
They’re still mathematically alive, thanks to Kansas pulling off yet another upset, taking down undefeated BYU. That being said, they need approximately 87 things to go their way, in addition to winning the final two games of the year against UCF and Texas Tech, to punch a ticket to Dallas.
*Whispers* It’s not happening.
It’s year six of this regime, and they’re struggling to make it to win six. Being content with just getting bowl-eligible this deep into a tenure is not acceptable. Coaches can have a down year every now and then, even six years in, but you have to have shown something in the past that shows you’re capable of winning. This staff has yet to do that.
I went back and looked at last year’s schedule a little deeper and found that the six teams that West Virginia beat had a combined Big 12 record of 16-38. The four league wins they have this year have a combined record of 7-19. Only one of those ten wins (Texas Tech last year) came against a team with a winning record in Big 12 play. Teams with a pulse, they can’t beat. That’s a problem.
I’m not here to put Neal Brown on blast, although it may seem that way. All I’m saying is something has got to change. This program, this state, deserves better. If it’s continuing on with Neal Brown, then there needs to be new faces that populate the coaching staff, better decisions made in the transfer portal, and better scouting of high school prospects. NIL is a big piece of this, too, and they must find a way to be more competitive in that space.
I’m aware that after each of the Mountaineers’ last three or four losses, my Sunday morning columns have talked about the job security of the head ball coach to a certain degree. I don’t believe in pressuring someone to make a change after every single loss; I really don’t. The only reason it has been a main point of these weekly stories is because of the nature of each loss and how this team continues to fall short of expectations.
Why is it that players can’t take the next step and bring some star power to this team? Aside from Zach Frazier and Wyatt Milum, WVU hasn’t had pro-level talent that they recruited out of high school and developed. There used to be four or five of those guys every year in previous regimes.
Why is it that Garrett Greene hasn’t turned into one of the top quarterbacks in the Big 12? Why has CJ Donaldson not evolved into one of the top backs in the league? Why is someone like Justin Robinson not putting up big numbers? Could you imagine what type of numbers he would have put up in a Dana Holgorsen offense? They say his biggest issue is playing away from the ball. Okay? Then throw it to him. That’s his number one job anyway, isn’t it?
Development has been a big problem with this staff at the skill spots on offense and everywhere on defense. And when you’re a program that is lined with big pockets to use in the transfer portal or high-end recruits, development is the one thing you have to ace.
Will Wren Baker make a change? I don’t know. But the longer this goes, the more stale the product becomes to the fanbase and, eventually, to the players being recruited to West Virginia. I’m not sitting in Baker’s chair, but once again, all I know is the people of West Virginia deserve better. What that looks like and who returns the program to relevance is for Baker to figure out.
MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI
Mountaineer Postgame Show: Baylo 49, WVU 35
Initial Thoughts on West Virginia’s Fourth Home Loss of the Season
WVU WR Traylon Ray Carted Off the Field Following Lower Body Injury Versus Baylor
Look What I Found! Traylon Ray in Perfect Position for Tipped Touchdown
Bangladesh ex-ministers face ‘massacre’ charges, Hasina probe deadline set
They disagree about a lot, but these singers figure out how to stay in harmony
Even Democrat voters rejected leftist policies and politicians in the most surprising places
Major pro-life group releases ‘Make America Pro-Life Again Roadmap’
Texas man, 66, shot to death while selling cellphone on Facebook Marketplace: police
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Bangladesh ex-ministers face ‘massacre’ charges, Hasina probe deadline set
They disagree about a lot, but these singers figure out how to stay in harmony
Trump taps FCC member Brendan Carr to lead agency: 'Warrior for Free Speech'
Protesters in Slovakia rally against Robert Fico’s populist government
Gaetz-gate: Navigating the President-elect's most baffling Cabinet pick
-
Culture1 week agoThe NFL is heading to Germany – and the country has fallen for American football
-
Business1 week agoRef needs glasses? Not anymore. Lasik company offers free procedures for referees
-
Sports1 week agoAll-Free-Agent Team: Closers and corner outfielders aplenty, harder to fill up the middle
-
News7 days agoHerbert Smith Freehills to merge with US-based law firm Kramer Levin
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25724877/Super_Nintendo_World.png "The next Nintendo Direct is all about Super Nintendo World’s Donkey Kong Country")
Technology1 week agoThe next Nintendo Direct is all about Super Nintendo World’s Donkey Kong Country
-
Business5 days ago
Column: OpenAI just scored a huge victory in a copyright case … or did it?
-
Health5 days agoBird flu leaves teen in critical condition after country's first reported case
-
Business1 day agoColumn: Molly White's message for journalists going freelance — be ready for the pitfalls
