Meta restricts political advertisers from utilising Generative AI ads tools

Facebook's parent company, Meta, has announced that it will not allow political campaigns and advertisers in regulated sectors to use its generative AI advertising tools as reported by Reuters. This move is intended to prevent the dissemination of election misinformation through AI-generated content. Although Meta's advertising guidelines already prohibit ads with false information, they do not currently have specific regulations in place for AI-generated content.

The new policy update was made public on Meta's help center, and it restricts advertisers running campaigns related to housing, employment, credit, social issues, elections, politics, health, pharmaceuticals, or financial services from using Generative AI features. The company believes this approach will help them understand potential risks and develop appropriate safeguards for the use of Generative AI in ads related to sensitive topics in regulated industries.

Meta's decision comes after the company announced its expansion of AI-powered advertising tools, allowing advertisers to create ad content instantly in response to text prompts. These tools, initially available to a limited group of advertisers, are set to roll out globally next year.

Alphabet's Google recently introduced similar generative AI ad tools, with plans to block "political keywords" from being used as prompts. Google will also require election-related ads to include disclosures for synthetic content.

Meta's top policy executive, Nick Clegg, emphasised the need to update rules regarding generative AI in political advertising. He warned about the potential for AI to interfere in elections in 2024, calling for a focus on election-related content across platforms.

Meta has taken measures to address AI-generated content, including blocking its AI virtual assistant from creating photo-realistic images of public figures. The company is also working on watermarking AI-generated content and has limited misleading AI-generated videos.

Meta's independent Oversight Board is currently examining its approach to AI-generated content, particularly in cases like a doctored video of U.S. President Joe Biden.