The Republican National Committee (RNC) provided Congress with a mock attack ad created using artificial intelligence (AI) to give them a preview of how the technology might be applied in the upcoming election. Democrats are currently getting set to reply.
Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) unveiled a new measure on Tuesday that would mandate the disclosure of AI-generated content in political advertisements. According to Clarke the RNC advertisement was the exact inspiration for her bill. The video, which was released soon after President Joe Biden launched his bid for reelection in 2024, shows a nightmarish future in which Biden, in the event that he wins, reinstates the draught to support the Ukrainian war effort and prompts China to invade Taiwan.
For the first time in American history, political campaigns, parties, and Super PACs will use AI-generated content in their advertising during the next 2024 election cycle. Sadly, Clarke said in a statement on Tuesday, the swift advancement of artificial intelligence technologies has not been matched by the present laws.
For the first time in American history, political advertisements using AI-generated material will run in the forthcoming 2024 election season.
The preceding 2020 presidential election was marred by the controversy over whether or not to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology. Before the election, a fake video of Nancy Pelosi, the then-House Speaker, slurring her words while intoxicated went popular on social media and sparked a few congressional hearings. Later, deepfakes were prohibited by Meta, TikTok, and other significant social media platforms, but lawmakers were unable to enact any significant legislation as a result of their efforts. The REAL Political Advertisements Act, proposed by Clarke, would apply to both still-image and moving-image advertisements, requiring a statement at the start or finish that discloses the use of AI-generated content.
Artificial intelligence-generated and other doctored video footage has become more prevalent online as a new election cycle approaches. The rising availability of AI technology and business investment in it over the past year has alarmed politicians and prompted a flood of new legislation and regulatory reforms.
Last month, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) distributed to experts a broad framework outlining the Democratic position on AI regulation. According to Axios, the framework suggested new regulations mandating AI developers to disclose their data sources, who trained the algorithms, their audience, and an explanation for how the algorithms arrive at their responses.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) critiqued Congress’s slowness in enacting regulations for developing technologies in an interview with The Verge in March. He said, he wishes they would’ve put some rules in place ahead of the game while discussing the possible dangers of social media. There’s an opportunity to accomplish it using AI, he continued.
The voids created by Congress have begun to be filled by federal agencies without the need for new laws. The Commerce Department solicited the public for suggestions on how to regulate AI systems last month. The Federal Trade Commission has begun advising businesses against adopting discriminatory AI, claiming that it already has the power to pursue them over potential discriminatory algorithms.
