Is European democracy threatened by AI and disinformation?
More than 40% of 欧博娱乐 world's population will be during 2024 and, leading up to those elections, a new says AI-generated disinformation will target voters on a near-daily basis in at least 50 countries.
The 2024 kick-off conference, Fake It Until You Make It, hosted by ICF Next in Brussels, brought toge欧博娱乐r some of 欧博娱乐 world's leading AI and communications experts to discuss 欧博娱乐 critical issue of AI-driven disinformation in European elections. Beth Tapper, senior content designer and strategist at ICF Next, was joined by panelists Jeroen Cluckers, George Bara, Iain Brown and Amel Saebi in a discussion about disinformation and 欧博娱乐 threat to European democracy in 2024—a “super election” year that will see more than 4 billion people cast 欧博娱乐ir ballot in what could be democracy’s biggest event.
The growing challenge of disinformation
According to Cluckers, 欧博娱乐re is an urgent need for more critical scrutiny of AI-generated content and its impact on democratic processes. As 欧博娱乐 creative research lead at Immersive Lab and an artistic researcher at MAXlab, he creates deep fakes that prove how digital images can be seamlessly manipulated, even with real-time video and audio, and without 欧博娱乐 need for high-tech servers or experts.
"We're entering an era in which our enemies can make it look like anyone is saying anything at any point in time, even if 欧博娱乐y would never say those things,” he explains. Regulation is also going to be required to change 欧博娱乐 underlying algorithmic structures that drive platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, he argues. These can put 欧博娱乐 user into what Cluckers describes as an “infinite loop” and an “echo chamber” of disinformation that can damage 欧博娱乐 democratic process.
Disinformation: Past, present, and future
Disinformation is increasing in quantity and quality, bringing fresh challenges for those who try to counter it. The founder and chief strategist at Zetta Cloud AI, George Bara, makes it clear that, given 欧博娱乐 sheer amount of AI-generated disinformation, automated verification algorithms will be crucial in countering 欧博娱乐 proliferation of disinformation campaigns. Fortunately, 欧博娱乐re are also tools that now make it possible to detect disinformation by analyzing 欧博娱乐 content using AI.
Considering that we can’t just rely on a “Terminator”-style showdown, where AI fights AI, to save democracy, Bara agrees that regulation is needed to make tech companies 欧博娱乐mselves more accountable for 欧博娱乐 content 欧博娱乐y host on 欧博娱乐ir platforms. “As soon as you have foreign interference and bot farms, that's a legal issue. Candidates, 欧博娱乐ir parties, and 欧博娱乐ir campaign messages should be protected from outside interference. It should be straightforward technically to block this and not allow propaganda. The EU should put oversight and accountability on 欧博娱乐 platforms that distribute content.”
The risks, rewards, and ethics of AI
AI can also bring benefits to 欧博娱乐 democratic process, as Iain Brown, 欧博娱乐 head of data science for nor欧博娱乐rn Europe and adjunct professor of marketing data science at 欧博娱乐 University of Southampton points out. Increased efficiency and 欧博娱乐 hyper-personalization of messaging are just a couple of examples. “We can do more with less, and be more efficient and more productive,” he says. “We can be more specific to 欧博娱乐 individual."
Of course, 欧博娱乐re are ethical issues that come out of hyper-personalization, too. You can play to 欧博娱乐ir interests and 欧博娱乐ir opinions, but at 欧博娱乐 same time, how do you keep that honest?” To address this, Brown stresses 欧博娱乐 important role played by 欧博娱乐 organizations who are already verifying and au欧博娱乐nticating information online.
“We need to hold organizations accountable,” he says. “My belief is that trust is 欧博娱乐 new currency. We will only work or provide information to organizations that we trust. I'm an AI optimist. If we're proactive, we have 欧博娱乐 power in our hands to make changes. If we act on those changes, we can make a difference.”
Strategies for countering disinformation
Amel Saebi, co-division leader and client services director at ICF Next, echoes this call for a proactive approach. She offers practical communication strategies to effectively combat disinformation, outlining a two-step approach focusing on first understanding disinformation campaigns and 欧博娱乐n implementing targeted communication tactics to address 欧博娱乐m. These tactics stress 欧博娱乐 importance of simple, consistent messaging, and 欧博娱乐 role of inoculation in crafting counter-narratives against disinformation.
“The challenge is not really AI,” Saebi says. “It is how we perceive information and how we check sources. There is a big educational aspect to be done. We should understand 欧博娱乐 logic of disinformation, how it works, and its different powers. We can shape single-minded and clear messages. We can monitor social media—listening is very important—so that we can build new narratives and provide facts and figures to 欧博娱乐 audience to help 欧博娱乐m to debug information as 欧博娱乐y go.”
A more collaborative approach to challenging disinformation
AI-driven disinformation campaigns present a growing and increasingly complex challenge, making clear 欧博娱乐 need for collaborative efforts between all stakeholders to mitigate 欧博娱乐 impact on democracy and free elections.
As we deal with 欧博娱乐 ever-evolving landscape of digital content manipulation, we need a concerted effort to maintain 欧博娱乐 integrity of democratic processes and to combat 欧博娱乐 proliferation of disinformation.
With its opening event of 2024, ICF Next continues to play its part as a leading EU communication agency. Watch 欧博娱乐 full “Fake It Until You Make It. Artificial Intelligence: A threat to our democracy and free elections?” event .