WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe BidenDonald Trump’s campaign and Democratic candidates are in a frenzied race with Republicans to see who can best harness the potential of artificial intelligence, a technology that could transform US elections – and perhaps threaten democracy itself .
Still feeling bad about being outsmarted on social media by Donald Trump and allies in 2016, Democratic strategists said they were nonetheless exercising caution in adopting tools that trouble disinformation experts. So far, Democrats have said they primarily use AI to help them find and motivate voters and better identify and overcome misleading content.
“Candidates and strategists are still trying to figure out how to use AI in their jobs. People know it can save them time – the most valuable resource a campaign has,” said Betsy Hoover, digital organizing director for President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign and co-founder of the marketing company. progressive venture capitalist Higher Ground Labs. “But they see the risk of misinformation and have decided intentionally where and how they use it in their work.”
For years, campaigns in both parties have used AI – powerful computing systems, software or processes that mimic aspects of human work and cognition – to collect and analyze data.
Recent developments in Supercharged Generative AIhowever, have provided candidates and consultants with the ability to generate text and images, clone human voices, and create videos at unprecedented volume and speed.
This has led disinformation experts to issue increasingly stark warnings about the risks posed by AI’s ability to spread falsehoods that could suppress or mislead voters, or incite violence, whether in the form of robocalls, social media posts or fake images and videos.
These concerns have become urgent after high-profile incidents, including the release of AI-generated images of former President Donald Trump being arrested in New York and an AI-created robocall that imitated Biden’s voice telling New Hampshire voters not to vote.
The Biden administration has sought to shape AI regulation by executive actionBut Democrats mostly agree that Congress needs to pass legislation to install safeguards around the technology.
Big tech companies have taken steps to ease the unease in Washington by announcing their commitment to self-regulation. Major AI players, for example, have struck a deal pact to combat the use of AI-generated deepfakes around the world. But some experts say the voluntary effort is largely symbolic and that congressional action is needed to prevent AI abuse.
Meanwhile, campaigns and their consultants have generally avoided talking about how they plan to use AI to avoid scrutiny and reveal trade secrets.
The Democratic Party “has gotten a lot better at shutting up, doing the work and talking about it later,” said Jim Messina, a veteran Democratic strategist who managed Obama’s winning re-election campaign.
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