California Enacts SB 1050, Requiring Advertising Disclosure for AI-Generated Synthetic Performers

Senate Bill 1050 (Ashby) was approved by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State on September 16, 2026 as Chapter 246, Statutes of 2026. It adds Article 10 (commencing with Section 17610) to Chapter 1 of Part 3 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code, making it an unlawful advertising practice for a person to create and cause to be published in an advertising medium an advertisement that prominently includes a synthetic performer without a clear and conspicuous disclosure. Section 17610 defines a synthetic performer as a digital figure, voice, or representation created in whole or in part using generative artificial intelligence that creates the realistic impression of a human performance not recognizable as any identifiable natural person, and requires wording substantially similar to "this performance features a synthetic performer." An advertising medium served with a court order finding a violation may not continue to distribute the advertisement. The article is separate from the California AI Transparency Act, which sits at Section 22757 et seq. of the same code and governs provenance disclosure by covered generative-AI providers.

Related: California AI Transparency Act

Source: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov