Meta Bans Political Use of Generative AI in Advertising

Meta Platforms, the parent company of social media giant Facebook, has announced a significant policy change regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in political advertising. The decision, which comes amidst ongoing discussions about the role of AI-generated content in political discourse, aims to strike a balance between innovation and responsible advertising practices.

In October, Meta started rolling out generative AI tools for all advertisers “that can create content like image backgrounds and variations of written text.” However, on Monday, Reuters reported that Meta will prohibit political advertisers and “advertisers in other regulated industries” from utilizing these generative AI tools for their campaigns.

Specifically, Meta has banned “misleading AI-generated video in all content, including organic non-paid posts, with an exception for parody or satire.”

This move, which Meta announced publicly in an update to its help center, is in response to concerns about the potential misuse and manipulation of AI-generated content in the political sphere. By imposing this restriction, Meta aims to safeguard the integrity of political advertising on its platforms and avoid the “spread of election misinformation.”

In a note explaining how its generative AI tools work, Meta said, “As we continue to test new Generative AI ads creation tools in Ads Manager, advertisers running campaigns that qualify as ads for Housing, Employment or Credit or Social Issues, Elections, or Politics, or related to Health, Pharmaceuticals or Financial Services aren’t currently permitted to use these Generative AI features.”

Generative AI has gained traction in recent years for its potential to create text, images, and videos. While this technology offers exciting possibilities for creative content production, it also raises concerns about authenticity and the potential for misinformation.

“We believe this approach will allow us to better understand potential risks and build the right safeguards for the use of Generative AI in ads that relate to potentially sensitive topics in regulated industries,” Meta said in its note.

With the U.S. presidential election nearing, many people are concerned that fake news shared through AI on social media could impact voter sentiment. Meta’s decision to ban the use of generative AI in political advertising reflects the company’s commitment to maintaining a trustworthy and transparent advertising ecosystem.