The liberal state of New Mexico has passed a law that requires disclaimers to be put on AI-generated content, including satire. The Christian satire site the ‘Babylon Bee’ is suing the state over this on grounds of free speech.
Coincidentally, the Babylon Bee recently produced a satire video lampooning the state, which you can watch below.
It’s great that the Bee is standing up for free speech and challenging the law.
FOX News reports:
A New Mexico law requiring disclaimers on certain AI-generated political content, including parody and satire, is being challenged in court by Christian satire news site The Babylon Bee.
HB 182, passed in 2024, amended New Mexico’s Campaign Reporting Act to add disclosure requirements for political advertisements containing what the law defines as “materially deceptive media.” The law mandates that relevant images, video or audio manipulated or created through artificial intelligence must display a prominent AI disclaimer identifying the content as created or manipulated by artificial intelligence.
The Bee, which frequently pokes fun at political candidates and issues, argues the state law violates fundamental free speech rights and due process.
On Tuesday, the humor site filed a lawsuit against state officials, with the help of the legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom (“ADF”), arguing that the law chills their speech and destroys the intent of comedy.
“This disclaimer alters the content of the satire and parody The Bee wants to express by alerting the viewer to the satirical or parodical nature of the communication and thereby depriving the expression of its rhetorical force,” the complaint states. “Put simply, HB 182 spoils the joke as it begins, each and every time.” The website says it is not willing to publish content with the mandated label because it would alter its message.
Seth Dillon, CEO of The Babylon Bee, told Fox News Digital that the law’s disclosure requirement imposes a “deeper problem” of compelled speech.
“New Mexico is stuffing words into our mouths, forcing us to say things we wouldn’t say otherwise,” he explained.
Here is the satire video about New Mexico that was recently published by the Bee. Watch:
Visit New Mexico: A Democrat Utopia pic.twitter.com/yY6BhEI1P7
— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) August 4, 2026
Imagine how much less funny that would be if it opened with a disclaimer saying that it’s AI-generated satire.
It would completely ruin the joke, and it sounds like that is the point of this law.
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