As AI images become common, the threat to elections draws alarm: ‘How will voters know what’s true?’
Deepfakes and misinformation driven by artificial intelligence have become a point of deep concern for legislators, advocates and the public An image of College Park, Georgia mayor Bianca Motley Broom kissing a man – who was not her husband – in a bar spread far and wide on Facebook. The fact that it’s fake is spreading faster, now, but only after it had been seen by thousands of people. “I think…
AI-generated deepfakes and disinformation pose a significant threat to elections, according to legislators, advocates, and the public. A recent poll found that around 71% of respondents were worried about AI-generated deepfakes and disinformation affecting elections, while two-thirds were concerned about AI being used to sexualize women.
The spread of fake images, such as the one of College Park, Georgia mayor Bianca Motley Broom kissing a man who was not her husband, has the potential to spread rapidly and cause harm. Motley Broom expressed concern about how voters can distinguish fact from fiction, emphasizing the impact on democracy. Senators Raphael Warnock and John Kennedy have been considering political responses to possible election interference scenarios driven by deepfakes.
The Trump administration has previously used AI imagery, such as digitally altered images of Nekima Levy Armstrong and Jeffrey Epstein. Despite concerns about the potential economic consequences of AI, the worry about deepfake images being used to sexualize women or children or to influence elections vastly outweighs concern about AI affecting jobs.
Senate Democrats have been war-gaming political responses to possible election interference scenarios, with a focus on deepfakes and disinformation. Some state legislatures are also grappling with AI regulation amid bipartisan public backlash, with Tennessee's Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act providing protections for politicians and residents from AI voice cloning and digital likeness replication.
However, Georgia has not yet enacted legislation to protect against deepfakes. Despite First Amendment protections for speech, legislators are considering potential actions to address this issue.
Written by urgent.news from Guardian Technology's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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