Political figures are starting to use artificial intelligence in election campaigns, but the move comes with risks, one technology expert says.
In Toronto's mayoral election a candidate, Anthony Furey, used AI to generate photos to showcase the city. In the U.S., Florida Gov., Ron DeSantis, used AI-generated photos in his presidential campaign of opponent Donald Trump hugging Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Sinead Bovell, a tech expert, told CTV's Your Morning the increasing usage of AI in election campaigns could be problematic.
"AI tools are now being used to shape the political arena, they're incredibly easy to use and that's been part of their appeal," she said. "But at the same time, it calls into question what happens when they enter into our political ecosystems."
Bovell believes if restrictions are not put in place, using AI in campaigns will become normal, which could harm voters.
"If we become so disoriented, in a sea of information, we might unsubscribe from the process altogether, we might lose trust in our democracy or in the voting process," she said.
Deciphering between a real image and a fake one can be challenging, Bovell says, especially as AI becomes more sophisticated.
"In the context of something as critical as voting and democracy, what standards do we want to set," Bovell said. "Should it be okay, that somebody could release images for their campaign without declaring that these are AI-generated?"
Early research has indicated AI-generated text could be more persuasive, Bovell says, and in a political landscape could sway voters in a certain direction.
One way AI can be used is by creating attack ads that highlight a dystopian future with the opponent as the leader. Bovell says audio, video and images, coupled with text from AI, have the power to shift people's beliefs.
"We can be very susceptible to believing narratives that actually aren't true, that look incredibly real," she said. "So this is quite alarming."
To watch the full interview click the video at the top of this article.
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