From Polls to Pixels: AI's March into Politics
Often it’s the sex industry taking the lead in adopting new technology, but when it comes to generative AI, the political establishment seems to be one of the first movers.
Just last week there were several reported instances of generative AI being leveraged to influence voters. The first, in Bangladesh, involved the use of deepfake videos to discredit opposition parties. The second in the US, reported on “Ashley”, an AI campaign assistant phoning potential voters and striking up a dialogue with them.
In the case of Ashley, a synthetic voice was consciously chosen so that it could not be mistaken for an actual human – but in other cases the technology is being applied to deliberately mislead voters. The biggest issue isn’t how discernible the use of generative AI is, rather it’s the fact that if it is used at all, we can quickly end up in a world where nothing you see or hear can be fully trusted. There was already one case in India where a politician responded to a leaked audio in which he allegedly discussed corruption in his party by alleging that it was fake — a claim subsequently dismissed by fact-checkers.
I’m deeply apprehensive about what this will do to the political landscape. Many families were already torn apart by their voting choices in the last US election – what’s going to happen in 2024 when the Trump campaign team starts deploying generative AI?
I speculated with ChatGPT about some of the likely scenarios and applications that may unfold in the coming months. It feels hard to predict which way this will play out, especially in the short term. The only certainty seems to be that just as in many other sectors, politics in the AI era will be unrecognisable from what came before.
Enhanced Personalized Political Campaigns
Scenario: AI systems could analyze vast amounts of data to create highly personalized political campaigns. These systems would be capable of crafting messages tailored to individual voters based on their browsing history, social media activity, and even spoken preferences.
Impact: This would significantly increase voter engagement but also raise concerns about privacy and the manipulation of public opinion.
AI Fact-Checking and Misinformation Control
Scenario: Real-time AI fact-checkers become standard in political discourse, instantly verifying or debunking statements made by politicians in debates, interviews, and speeches.
Impact: This would promote transparency and honesty in politics but could also lead to censorship or biased interpretations of what constitutes a 'fact.'
Virtual AI Politicians
Scenario: AI avatars representing real politicians could start interacting with the public, answering questions, and even participating in virtual debates.
Impact: This would make politicians more accessible but could blur the lines between the politician's actual stance and the AI's programmed responses.
AI as a Political Advisor
Scenario: AI systems could become key advisors for politicians, providing strategic guidance based on predictive models and data analysis.
Impact: While this could lead to more data-driven policies, it might also reduce human judgment and moral considerations in policy-making.
Automated Governance Systems
Scenario: Certain aspects of governance, such as budget allocations or policy implementations, could be entirely managed by AI systems for efficiency and impartiality.
Impact: This could streamline administrative processes but might also lead to a lack of accountability and reduced public input.
Global AI Regulatory Bodies
Scenario: The formation of international organizations dedicated to regulating AI use in politics globally.
Impact: This would aim to standardize AI applications in politics but could face challenges due to varying political systems and cultural values.