In a world threatened by AI-generated deepfakes, Home Secretary James Cleverly has raised concerns over its ability to manipulate democratic countries, urging collective action against digital manipulation in electoral processes. Here’s the full story.
Outside Actors
In the modern era, with technology advancing at what can sometimes seem a frightening pace, the ability for state actors or giant corporations to control what we see online has become almost omniscient.
Throughout the last ten years, companies such as Cambridge Analytica could influence citizens through Facebook in the UK, and whole states, such as Russia, could use bot farms and legions of paid online agitators on Twitter to influence the outcome of the 2016 election in the US.
The sanctity of the democratic process faces a formidable challenge amidst the relentless forward march of technology.
Adversaries of Democracy
The newest threat, the rise of AI-generated deepfakes, is causing such concern amongst governments that Home Secretary James Cleverly has spoken out against the potential exploitation of such technology by the adversaries of democratic nations, such as Russia or Iran.
These AI-generated deepfakes can generate content that seems genuine to the untrained eye, allowing its creators unparalleled access to the voters of countries where these fake images and videos are shown.
Before upcoming meetings with the heads of the gigantic and still relatively unregulated social media companies, Cleverly told The Times that “increasingly today the battle of ideas and policies takes place in the ever-changing and expanding digital sphere.”
He also stated, “The era of deepfake and AI-generated content to mislead and disrupt is already in play.”
Greater Transparency
To combat the massive challenges posed by deepfake technology, Cleverly called for greater transparency to safeguard electoral integrity.
Cleverly stated, “The landscape it is inserted into needs its rules, transparency and safeguards for its users. The questions asked about digital content and the sources of digital content are no less relevant than those asked about the content and sources at dispatch boxes, newsrooms or billboard ads.”
With a string of elections upcoming this year alone, including the much anticipated UK election, the spectre of deepfake manipulation casts a long shadow over democratic processes globally.
Elections Worldwide
Cleverly’s call to action extends far beyond the borders of the UK as he prepares to meet with tech giants in Silicon Valley and countries as far as India, the United States, Mexico, Indonesia, and many countries within the EU preparing to vote in presidential and regional elections. According to the Home Secretary, collective intervention is paramount in combating this transnational threat.
The threat posed by deepfake technology is already present in the UK, as within the last year, there have been videos shared online that purported to show figures from across the political divide, such as Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, making statements or announcing policies which were entirely fabricated.
Shared Online
Despite these videos being faked, this did not stop social media users, either maliciously or unintentionally, from sharing them thousands of times as if they were genuine.
These instances, and many others like them from around the world, underscore the weakness of public discourse to manipulation, particularly in online spaces. This has only made the need for urgent preemptive measures more clear to counter the rapid proliferation of deceptive deepfake content.
“Reasonable Precautions”
Major technology companies have all pledged to address the menace of AI-generated deepfakes in elections, voluntarily signing up to ensure the companies in question take “reasonable precautions” to prevent deepfake content from adversely affecting elections around the globe.
This collaborative framework, endorsed by industry giants such as Google, Meta, and Microsoft, is hoped to help stem the tide of deepfake content that threatens upcoming elections worldwide.
Collective Action
Former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who has found a new role as Meta’s President of Global Affairs, underscored the importance of collective action when confronting deep fakes.
Clegg stated, “Everybody recognises that no one tech company, no one government, no one civil society organisation is able to deal with the advent of this technology and its possible nefarious use on their own.”
Guaranteeing Fairness
As the shifting spectre of AI-generated deepfakes looms larger over upcoming elections around the world, the importance of guaranteeing the fairness of those elections becomes ever more evident.
The convergence of technology and democracy demands concerted efforts to uphold transparency, accountability, and integrity in the face of this evolving threat.
Never before has it been so easy for malignant actors to influence ordinary citizens worldwide. What this means for democracy, which is already facing multifaceted threats all over the globe, is yet to be seen.
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The post Cleverly Warns Against the Menace of AI Deepfakes in Upcoming UK Election first appeared on Edge Media.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Dan Morar.
Grant Gallacher is a seasoned writer with expertise in politics and impactful daily news. His work, deeply rooted in addressing issues that resonate with a wide audience, showcases an unwavering commitment to bringing forth the stories that matter. He is also known for satirical writing and stand up comedy.