Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1050 on September 16 at SAG-AFTRA's Los Angeles headquarters, making California the first state to require video and audio ads to disclose the use of AI-generated “synthetic performers.” The law targets human-like AI figures who do not correspond to any real person and are used to sell a product or service.
Advertisers must place a clear disclosure near the synthetic performer, using wording close to “this performance features a synthetic digital performer.” Ads found in violation cannot keep running. The rule exempts AI used only to translate a human performer's speech or to provide accessibility features, and it takes effect January 1, 2027.
“Californians deserve to know when the person selling them something isn't a person at all,” Newsom said. SAG-AFTRA's Duncan Crabtree-Ireland called it “an important step in the broader effort to protect consumers from deceptive AI practices.” The bill, authored by Senator Angelique Ashby, builds on California's 2024 digital-likeness worker protections and its wider AI transparency and watermarking framework.