Advertisers will no longer be able to use AI tools to improve their advertising on Meta platforms, the company announced this week.
The tech giant announced that it is making changes to its AI advertising policies to limit how AI is used in possibly controversial categories. According to Meta, advertisers will no longer be able to use AI for advertising related to politics, healthcare, finance, housing or employment.
“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,” stated a public note on Meta’s site.
Meta’s generative AI tools automatically suggest improvements to advertisements, giving advertisers more tools to try to make their ads more effective. Such improvements include adding backgrounds, text or images generated by the AI.
Meta’s restriction of political advertising is particularly important as the 2024 election cycle ramps up. Many social media platforms are preparing for a deluge of misinformation relating to the elections and are hoping to limit the damage.
X, Meta’s main social media competitor, announced the creation of an elections misinformation team that will work to limit the spread of misinformation on the platform. X also recently announced that it would be allowing political advertising on the platform.
Lawmakers and regulatory agencies are looking to limit the potential damage as well. In September, a bipartisan collection of senators introduced a bill that could ban the use of generative AI in political advertising.
“We must protect the right of Americans to vote without being controlled or manipulated by artificial intelligence companies,” wrote Missouri Republican Josh Hawley. “Elections belong to the people, not the tech companies.”
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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