The Home Secretary said criminals and “malicious actors” acting on behalf of malicious states could use AI-generated “deepfakes” to hijack the general election.
James Cleverley, speaking before a meeting with social media chiefs, said rapid advances in technology could pose a serious threat to elections around the world.
He said people acting on behalf of countries such as Russia and Iran have created thousands of deepfakes, which are highly realistic hoax images and videos used to manipulate democratic processes in countries such as the United Kingdom. He warned that there is a possibility that it may also occur.
he said times “Today, the battle of ideas and policy is increasingly being fought in an ever-changing and expanding digital realm,” he said, adding, “The era of deepfakes and AI-generated content to mislead and confuse has already begun.” he added.
“The landscape in which it is inserted requires its rules, transparency and protection for its users. The questions asked about digital content and the sources of digital content are the same as content in delivery boxes, newsrooms or billboard ads. It’s as relevant as the questions asked about the source.”
The Home Secretary will use a meeting with Silicon Valley executives from Google, Meta, Apple and YouTube to urge collective action to protect democracy.
It is estimated that 2 billion people will vote in national elections throughout 2024 around the world, including in the UK, US, India and 60 other countries.
Last year, a number of deepfake audio imitations of Labor Party leader Keir Starmer and London Mayor Sadiq Khan were shared online. There was also the incident of a deepfake BBC News video purporting to investigate Rishi Sunak’s finances.
It comes as major tech companies signed an agreement earlier this month to voluntarily adopt “reasonable precautions” to prevent artificial intelligence tools from being used to interfere with democratic elections around the world. That’s what I received.
Executives from Adobe, Amazon, Google, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, and TikTok gathered at the Munich Security Conference to unveil a new framework for how to respond to AI-generated deepfakes that intentionally deceive voters. . Twelve other companies have signed the agreement, including Elon Musk’s Company X.
“Everyone recognizes that no tech company, no government, no civil society organization can address the emergence of this technology and its potential for abuse alone,” said Nick, Meta’s global president. Mr Clegg said. The company, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said in an interview before the summit.
