AI ‘deepfakes’ poised to wreak havoc on 2024 election: experts
Experts have warned that Big Tech firms are not prepared for the onslaught of high-quality, AI-generated political “deepfakes” ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Midjourney have made it easy to create false or misleading posts, pictures and videos. Examples of AI-generated misinformation have already circulated on the web, including a deepfake video of President Biden verbally attacking transgender people, false pictures of former President Donald Trump resisting arrest and viral photos of Pope Francis wearing a Balenciaga puffer jacket. Experts say this is uncharted territory for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok, who are set to face an unprecedented swell of high-quality deepfake content from US social media users and nefarious foreign actors alike.
FAQs:
What are political “deepfakes”?
Political “deepfakes” are manipulated videos, images or text generated by AI programs that can spread false or misleading information.
Which AI platforms have made it easy to create deepfakes?
Generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Midjourney have made it easy to create deepfakes.
What are some examples of AI-generated misinformation?
Examples of AI-generated misinformation include a deepfake video of President Biden verbally attacking transgender people, false pictures of former President Donald Trump resisting arrest and viral photos of Pope Francis wearing a Balenciaga puffer jacket.
Which tech companies are not prepared for the onslaught of deepfakes?
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok are not prepared for the onslaught of deepfakes.
What could be the result of unprepared tech companies facing deepfakes?
Experts warn that the likelihood that foreign adversaries and rogue elements will use generative AI to manipulate voters or otherwise impact the integrity of US elections could increase dramatically.
What are tech companies doing to protect users?
Google will begin labeling AI-generated images with identifying metadata and watermarks. YouTube’s content policies ban the posting of content that has been doctored to manipulate other users and removes offending posts through machine learning and human reviewers. TikTok has rolled out a synthetic media policy earlier this year, which requires any AI-generated or otherwise manipulated content that depicts a realistic scene to be clearly labeled.
What challenges do tech companies face in combating deepfakes?
Aside from the unprecedented technical difficulty of combating AI-generated content, tech companies have to walk a fine line between blocking misinformation and delving into censorship. Efforts to stop AI deepfakes could be seen as political bias against a particular party or candidate. Additionally, tech firms have “very little control” over the actions of foreign adversaries who decide to misuse the technology for nefarious reasons.
What is the solution to prevent the flow of misinformation through AI-generated content?
According to Bradley Tusk, Big Tech firms won’t take decisive action to prevent the flow of misinformation through AI-generated content unless lawmakers repeal Section 230 – the controversial clause that shields companies from liability for damaging content published on their platforms.
Experts warn that AI-generated ‘deepfakes’ could cause chaos in the 2024 election.
Experts have warned that Big Tech companies are unprepared for an onslaught of high-quality, AI-generated political “deepfakes” ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT and photo-focused Midjourney have made it easy to create false or misleading posts, pictures or even videos. Deepfake videos of President Biden verbally attacking transgender people, false pictures of former President Donald Trump resisting arrest and viral photos of Pope Francis wearing a Balenciaga puffer jacket have already circulated. Tech giants such as Facebook, Twitter, Google-owned YouTube and TikTok are set to face an unprecedented swell of deepfake content from US social media users and nefarious foreign actors alike. However, the Silicon Valley giants “are not prepared” to contend with election-related deepfakes because they have “no incentive” to deal with the issue, according to a political consultant and CEO of Tusk. Candidates have also begun making use of generative AI. The bigger issue, according to many experts, is the likelihood that foreign adversaries and rogue elements will use generative AI to manipulate voters or otherwise impact the integrity of US elections.