Companies Announce Plans to Address AI Misuse in the Upcoming Presidential Election

The upcoming US presidential election is set to be the first one where generative AI tools have become mainstream. Companies like Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft have all made announcements on how they plan to handle the lead-up to the election.

With the rise of AI-generated images in ads and the use of voice cloning to mislead voters, concerns about the potential harms from AI chatbots have also come to the forefront. Chatbots have the ability to confidently provide false information, which could be detrimental in a high-stakes election.

To address these concerns, companies like Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft have taken various steps. Google’s Gemini, for example, will now refer users to Google Search for election-related questions, while OpenAI’s ChatGPT directs users to CanIVote.org for voting information. Microsoft is working on improving the accuracy of its chatbot responses after reports of misinformation.

In an effort to prevent the misuse of AI products, companies have implemented policies to curb election misinformation. Microsoft, for example, is working with candidates and political parties to combat false information, while Meta has banned the use of generative AI tools by political campaigns and groups.

Moreover, companies have also signed an accord pledging to create new methods to mitigate deceptive AI use in elections. The accord includes seven “principle goals” such as research on prevention methods, giving provenance for content, and improving AI detection capabilities.

As the 2024 election approaches, the use of generative AI tools in elections will likely continue to be a point of contention. It will be interesting to see how these companies uphold their commitments and safeguard against the misuse of AI in future elections.