Time is running out for regulators to tackle the threats posed by artificial intelligence (AI) to the democratic process ahead of July’s election, researchers have warned.
However, the idea of deepfakes swinging the election should not be overblown as there is no clear evidence of an election result being affected by AI, they said.
In a new report published by the Alan Turing Institute thinktank, researchers argued there are early signs of damage to the democratic system from AI-generated content.
There has been a wave of material claiming to depict politicians in recent months.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said deepfake audio that was generated to appear as though he was making inflammatory remarks before Armistice Day almost caused “serious disorder”.
AI-generated audio of US President Joe Biden appeared to encourage supporters not to vote in the New Hampshire primaries at the start of this year.
Sam Stockwell, research associate at the Alan Turing Institute and lead author of the report, said online harassment of public figures who are subject to deepfake attacks could push some to avoid engaging in online forums.
He said: “The challenge in discerning between AI-generated and authentic content poses all sorts of issues down the line… It allows bad actors to exploit that uncertainty by dismissing deepfake content as allegations, there’s fake news, it poses problems with fact-checking, and all of these things are detrimental to the fundamental principles of democracy.”
The report called for Ofcom, the media regulator, and the Electoral Commission, to issue joint guidance and request voluntary agreements on the fair use of AI by political parties in election campaigning.
It also recommended guidance for the media on reporting about AI-generated fake content and making sure voter information includes guidance on how to spot AI-generated content and where to go for advice.
Dr Christian Schroeder de Witt, a post doctoral researcher for AI and…
