Satire site The Babylon Bee sues New Mexico over AI disclaimer requirement

The Babylon Bee, a satire news website, sued New Mexico officials on Tuesday, asserting that the state’s HB 182 law infringes on its First Amendment rights by requiring a prominent AI disclaimer on political satire and parody. The statute, passed in 2024, amends the Campaign Reporting Act to label AI-generated images, video or audio deemed "materially deceptive media" in political ads. The Bee, aided by Alliance Defending Freedom, says the label spoils the joke and amounts to compelled speech, and it requests a court order halting enforcement by the New Mexico Ethics Commission.

The filing highlights that the law exempts traditional news content but restricts entertainment formats such as cartoons and memes. It also notes potential fines of up to $1,000 per violation, with cumulative penalties reaching $20,000. Democratic officials, including Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Attorney General Raúl Torrez, have expressed concerns about the bill’s wording, and the Ethics Commission called the lawsuit baseless.