PG A.M.: ‘Fake’ Colton Moore warns Georgia lawmakers on dangers of AI

Georgia lawmakers have heard warnings about the ills of artificial intelligence for months. But in a presentation that was both hauntingly creative and deeply chilling, Senate legislators this week got an unavoidable glimpse of the hazards of the budding technology.

That’s when the image of Republican state Rep. Todd Jones, R-South Forsyth, flashed on the screens of the Senate Judiciary Committee along with a disclaimer: “I am an AI depiction of Todd Jones and I want to introduce you to an AI generated friend Mallory.”

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Then came the voices of Mallory Staples and state Sen. Colton Moore, two ultraconservative Republicans who have aggressively opposed House Bill 986, the bill that would criminalize using deepfake computer-generated versions of politicians to deceive voters, which was the subject of the hearing.

“Hi, I’m Mallory, director of the state Freedom Caucus. I want all of you to know that I was wrong about HB 986,” said the phony Staples. “This bill is vital to protecting the integrity of our elections.”

She cued up Moore, R-Trenton, who has veered so far to the right that he’s been thrown out of the Senate GOP caucus and last week banned from the floor of the Georgia House.

“I know that I don’t see eye to eye with many of you. Luckily by the power of AI I am here to speak in favor of a Republican bill, proof that miracles do happen,” the AI version of Moore said, nodding to the real senator’s knack for voting “no” on most bills.

The deepfake Colton Moore then went on to declare his candidacy for U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s 14th congressional district.

“If AI can be used to make Colton Moore speak in favor of a popular piece of legislation, it can be used to make any one of you say things you’ve never said,” the phony Moore said. “Are you prepared to deal with the consequences of allowing AI deepfakes to remain a viable and legal campaign strategy?”

State Rep. Brad Thomas, a Cherokee County Republican who created the video with Jones, told lawmakers it was made on the cheap with readily available AI software.

“We’re at this point in our society where generative AI surpasses the invention of the wheel,” Thomas said. “This is what the future is built on. But it has nefarious uses.”

The committee approved HB 986 by 9-1, with Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch as the sole dissenting vote.

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Credit: Casey Sykes for the AJC

UNDER THE GOLD DOME:

8 a.m.: Committee meetings begin.
10 a.m.: The House convenes.
10 a.m.: The Senate gavels in.

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FINAL SPRINT. With just four legislative days left in the 2023-2024 legislative session, lawmakers are racing to get their prized packages negotiated and approved.

Among the bills on the move are:

House Bill 1104, a bill from Democratic state Rep. Omari Crawford, D-Decatur, that was originally meant to prevent teen suicides, but was stripped and replaced with four GOP conservative measures. The new bill, which passed a Senate committee last night with Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ backing, added language on transgender sports, sex education, parental notification of kids’ library books, and single-sex bathrooms.

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FORCING ENFORCEMENT. Two new immigration bills in the General Assembly — House Bill 1105 and HB 301 — are getting mixed reviews from Georgia sheriffs who say the bills ignore the complexities of enforcing immigration laws at the local level.

“We are constantly having laws passed that put onerous, ancillary duties on us because of (other counties) that won’t comply with the law,” Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said of new proposed reporting requirements in one of the measures. “Every minute we are tasked with a bureaucratic reporting process is only going to take away from our ability to protect the public on the street.”

The AJC’s Michelle Baruchman has more.

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DC DEBUT FOR CARTER CENTER. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was among the lawmakers who stopped by a Capitol Hill reception Tuesday night to celebrate the Carter Center’s new presence in Washington.

Diana Felner is the new Washington-based program director who will be advocating for issues championed both by the Carter Center and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers. Priorities will include mental health and resources for caregivers. She began working in this role in January.

Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC

Other guests at the reception included U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia; Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander; and Joshua Carter, grandson of President Jimmy Carter and his late wife, Rosalynn.

In addition to Pelosi, U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, recounted memories of working with the Carters over the decades and later as his constituents in southwest Georgia.

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., said he will do what he can to help the Carter Center and Rosalynn Carter Institute accomplish its goals on Capitol Hill.

“I’m so grateful to the Carter Center for its relentless focus on human rights and democracy around the world,” Ossoff said. “And I’m grateful to RCI for carrying on the work of an extraordinary first lady to help those who urgently need help in their moments of need.”

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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

LISTEN UP. Eli Sperling, an Israel Institute teaching fellow at the University of Georgia, will break down the politics of Israel’s war with Hamas on the “Politically Georgia” radio show this morning. The AJC’s Mark Niesse will join the show later to discuss the election-related bills that have been introduced in the waning days of the legislative session.

On Tuesday, state Rep. Tim Fleming, R-Covington, told the show he’s skeptical that Rivian will ever restart work on its planned $5 billion factory in his district near Rutledge. And state Sen. Derek Mallow, D-Savannah, predicted rural Republicans will have a hard time justifying school vouchers and new rural hospital regulations to their constituents.

Listen live at 10 a.m. on 90.1 FM, at AJC.com and at WABE.org. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:

President Joe Biden delivers remarks in Phoenix on his economic agenda and then he will travel to Dallas for two campaign fundraisers.
The U.S. House has votes scheduled on energy and commerce.
The Senate has judicial confirmation votes lined up.
The House Oversight Committee holds a hearing related to its impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell will hold a news conference to discuss the board’s latest decision on interest rates.

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SHUTDOWN UNLIKELY. We’re officially turning off our countdown-to-shutdown clock after leaders in both chambers announced Tuesday that a deal has been reached on six remaining appropriations bills.

As long as the bills are passed this weekend, or even early next week, the impact of partial government shutdown will be minimal.

We’ll be watching to see how many House Republicans support the measure and whether Speaker Mike Johnson gets blowback for negotiating a deal likely to get more Democratic support than Republican.

We’re also watching for the list of earmarks in the new measure to see which Georgia-based projects receive funding.

The most recent package of combined appropriations bills had more than $250 million in Georgia earmarks.

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GEORGIA MATTERS. U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock wasn’t the only Georgia lawmaker featured on MSNBC’s “Politics Nation” this weekend. The host, Rev. Al Sharpton, also featured U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams as part of what he described as a spotlight on a “critical battleground state.”

Williams, D-Atlanta, covered much of the same ground as Warnock, including efforts to oust Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the election interference trial involving former President Donald Trump, the growing humanitarian crisis in Haiti and efforts to turn out Georgia voters ahead of the 2024 presidential contest.

She also said Democrats will focus on reproductive rights as they make the case for re-electing Joe Biden.

“Women are going to show up en force at the ballot box because our rights are on the line,” Williams said. “Our reproductive freedoms are on the line.”

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BEST DRESSED. It’s down to the final two: State Rep. Inga Willis versus state Sen. Elena Parent.

But this isn’t just any election. The AJC’s Maya T. Prabhu’s “Best Dressed” competition is among the most coveted titles in the Gold Dome.

AJC readers’ votes will decide the winner. You can weigh in via the poll on X or using an online form.

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

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DOG OF THE DAY. It’s time to meet Thor Weldon, the rescue Sheltie from Calhoun who spends his time living up to his superhero name.

Not only does Thor’s fur make him look like he’s wearing a white cape, a reliable source tells us he also spends his time protecting his person, Jane Weldon, from the considerable dangers of squirrels and cats.