As more than half global population heads to the polls in 2024, AI-powered audio, images and videos are sowing confusion and clouding the political debate
Divyendra Singh jadoun’s phone is ringing off the hook . Known as the “Indian Deepfaker , “Jadoun is famous for using artificial intelligence to create Bollywood sequences and TV commercials.
But asa staggered voting in India’s election begins, Jadoun says hundreds of politicians have been clamoring for his services, with more than half asking for “unethical” things. Candidates asked him to fake audios of competitors challengers on the campaign trail or to superimpose challengers’ have requested low -quality fake videos of their own candidate which could be released to cast doubt on any damning real videos that emerge during the election.
Jadoun , 31, says he declines jobs meant to defame or deceive. But he expects plenty of consultants will oblige, bending reality in the world’s largest election, as more than half a billion Indian voters head to the polls.
The only thing stopping us from creating unethical deepfakes is our ethics, Jadoun to told The Washington Post. “But it’s very difficalt to stop this.”
India’s elections, which began last of week and run until early June, offer a preview pf how an explosion of how AI tools is transforming the democratic process, making it easy to develop seamless fake media around campaigns. More than half the world’s population lives in the more than 50 countries hosting elections in 2024, marking a pivotal year for global democracies.
While it’s unknown how many AI fakes have been made of politicians, experts say they are observing a global uptick of electoral deepfakes.
“I am seeing more [political deepfakes] this year than last year and the ones I am seeing are more sophisticated and compelling, “said Hany Farid, a computer science professor at the University of California at Berkeley,
While policymakers and regulators from Brussels to Washington are racing to craft legislation restricting the use of AI-powered audio, images and videos tn the campaign trail, a regulatory vacuum is emerging. The European ” Union’s landmark AI Act doesn’t take effect until after June parliamentary elections. In the U.S. Congress, bipartisan legislation that would ban falsely depicting federal candidates using AI is unlikely to become law before the November elections. A handle who make deceptive videos about politicians, creating a patchwork of policy across the country.
In the meantime, there are limited guardrails to deter politicians amd their allies from using AI to dupe voters, and enforcers are rarely a match for fakes that can spread quickly across social media or in group chats. The democratization of means it’s up to individuals like Jadoun – not regulators – to make ethical choices to stave off AI – induced election chaos.
“Let’s not stand on the sidelines while our elections get screwed up, “Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) who chairs the Senate Rules Committee, said in a speech last month at the Atlantic Council. “…This is like a ‘hair on fire’ moment. This is not a ‘let’s wait three years and see how it goes moment”
More sophisticated and compelling’
For years, nations – state groups flooded Facebook, Twitter (now X) and other social media with misinformation , emulating the playbook Russia famously used in 2016 to stoke discord in U.S. elections. But AI allows smaller actors to partake, making combating falsehoods a fractured and difficult undertaking.
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In the absence of activity from Congress, states are taking voluntary commitments from companies
About 10 states have adopted laws that would penalize those who use AI to dupe voters. Last month, Wisconsin’s governor signed a bipartisan bill into law that would fine people who fail to disclose AI in political ads. and a Michigan law punishes anyone who knowingly circulates an AI – generated deepfake within 90 days of an election .
