A federal court judge has issued a preliminary injunction against a new California law, AB 2839, which aimed to ban election-related deepfakes. The law allowed individuals to sue for damages over AI deepfakes within 120 days of an election, and up to 60 days after if the content resembled a political candidate. Judge John A. Mendez deemed the law unconstitutional, citing First Amendment concerns despite acknowledging the risks posed by deepfakes. The case involved Christopher Kohls, known as 'Mr Reagan,' who created a controversial AI-altered campaign video mocking Vice President Kamala Harris. Kohls' lawyer successfully argued that the deepfake was protected satire. The court ruling was viewed as a victory by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who had shared the video. This legal battle is part of a broader discussion on AI regulation, with other related laws recently reaching Governor Newsom's desk in California. Read more AI-generated news on: https://app.chaingpt.org/news