These are just a few of the tech giants that have agreed to take steps to address risks associated with various electoral processes globally.
A group of giants technology promised to take measures to prevent artificial intelligence (AI) interferes with elections which will be developed in 2024 in different countries around the world.
The deal was announced in February 2024 in Germany, within the framework of the Munich Security Conference (MSC).
Among the twenty companies that have joined There are Big Tech names like Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok and OpenAI .
In addition to others such as Adobe, Amazon, Anthropic, ARM, ElevenLabs, Gen, GitHub, IBM, Inflection AI, LG AI Research, LinkedIn, McAfee, NetApp, Nota, Snap, Stability AI, TrendMicro, TrueMedia, TruePic and X.
The aim of this measure is to implement actions to neutralize AI-generated content that could “jeopardize the integrity of electoral processes” .
Within these are included deep counterfeits that is, images created with this technology and used deliberately to deceive. In this case, to voters.
Although the agreement does not explicitly envisage the elimination or prohibition of such content, it proposes the development of tools to detect, monitor and classify them .
MSC President Christoph Heusgen said after the announcement that the forum “is proud to provide a platform for businesses to take measures to control threats emanating from AI and at the same time use it for democratic good “.
It is a pact that comes amid accelerating advances in AI and a year in which, according to the figures saved by Wired 4 billion voters are (or have already been) summoned to express their preferences at the polls .
This translates to approximately 51% of the world’s population .
“Everyone recognizes that No technology company, government or civil society organisation can single-handedly address the advent of this technology and its potential harmful use. ” said Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, in an interview ahead of the conference, as reported Los Angeles Times .
For his part, Google’s president of global affairs, Kent Walker, stressed in this matter that “Democracy is based on safe and secure elections” .
“We cannot allow digital abuse to threaten the ability to improve our economies, create new jobs and drive progress in health and science. Concrete and cooperative measures are needed to protect individuals and societies from the heightened risks associated with misleading content. generated by AI,” he stressed.
What the deal says to stop AI from interfering in global elections
From MSC detail in an official document that the agreement consists of “a set of commitments to implement technology that counters harmful AI-generated content intended to mislead voters” .
“The signatories commit to working collaboratively on tools for detect and combat the online distribution of such AI content, conduct educational campaigns and ensure transparency a, among other specific measures,” they add.
Furthermore, they emphasize that it includes “a broad set of principles, including the importance of tracing the origin of misleading election-related content and the need to raise public awareness of the problem.
“This is an important step in protecting online communities from harmful AI content and It is based on the ongoing work of each company “, they specify in the MSC letter.
The material they refer to envisages “AI-generated audio, video and images that falsify or deceptively alter appearance, voice or actions political candidates, election officials and other key stakeholders in a democratic election.
In addition to these, there are the content that “provides false information to voters about when, where and how they can vote” .
What are the 8 specific commitments that companies have adopted?
- Develop and implement technology to mitigate associated risks with misleading election content based on artificial intelligence, including open source tools where appropriate.
- Evaluate the models under this agreement to understand the risks that they can present regarding misleading election content based on artificial intelligence.
- Try to detect the distribution of this content on their platforms.
- Try to handle this content properly detected on their platforms.
- Building cross-sectoral resilience to misleading election content based on artificial intelligence.
- Ensuring transparency to the public on how the company approaches it.
- Continue to collaborate with a diverse set of organizations from civil society and academics around the world.
- Support public awareness efforts media literacy and resilience of the whole society.
What criticisms have been levelled against the measure?
Although the deal was widely celebrated at the conference, some tech activist groups and organizations criticized the fact that It does not provide for specific dates for its application or mechanisms to verify that the commitments are actually respected. .
The Senior Director of the Elections Project Bipartisan Policy Center Rachel Orey, told the agency PA after the announcement that “the language is not as strong as one might have hoped” .
“We must give credit where credit is due and recognize that corporations have an interest in ensuring that their tools are not used to undermine free and fair elections. But This is a voluntary agreement and we will be monitoring whether it is respected. “, stressed the representative of the non-profit organization.
Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
