On November 29, Curtis LeGeyt, President and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), participated in the Senate AI Insight Forum titled "Transparency, Explainability, Intellectual Property and Copyright." He expressed to Senate members the concerns that the broadcast news industry harbors regarding the unchecked advancement of artificial intelligence (AI).
LeGeyt warned, "AI presents challenges to the critical local journalism broadcasters provide. Broadcast newsrooms are spending an increasing amount of time and resources to vet stories and footage, verifying sources to ensure they continue to deliver the trusted information their audiences depend upon." He continued by highlighting a growing issue: "The use of AI to doctor, manipulate and distort information is a significant and growing problem that must be addressed in balance with the First Amendment." The NAB CEO also cited a specific instance where AI was used without authorization: "When a well-known generative AI system was recently prompted to provide the latest "news" in Parkersburg, it generated news stories copied nearly word for word from WTAP-TV’s website. The station did not grant permission for use of this content, nor did it receive compensation for it." LeGeyt concluded his remarks by stating, "The proliferation of easy-to-use AI tools and lack of legal guardrails are creating a perfect misinformation storm."
According to an NAB press release, LeGeyt voiced industry concerns over how AI is used to generate and spread misinformation online. He also pointed out how broadcasters’ copyright-protected content is often fed into AI systems without attribution or compensation.
In his written statement, LeGeyt mentioned several news organizations such as CBS, TEGNA and Hearst Television that have launched special units or formed partnerships at their own expense to combat the rise in disinformation and misinformation.
He further highlighted in his statement that AI is being used to generate images, video and audio that mimic radio or TV news personalities, which is particularly alarming to broadcasters.
According to a press release by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), this was the seventh AI Insight Forum hosted by Schumer and Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD), Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Todd Young (R-IN).
