Truth or Fiction? AI’s Dirty Game in Politics!

Artificial intelligence (AI) is causing rising concerns in politics, especially during elections. Some global politicians, like former US President Donald Trump, are blaming AI for photos and videos that harm their reputation. ‘Deepfakes’, as they are commonly known, can spread misinformation and confuse people, leaving them not knowing what to believe or not to believe. This has the potential to cloud the judgement of voters and disrupt democracy in small island states.

AI analyst, Libby Lange told The Washington Post: “AI destabilises the concept of truth itself”.

Threats to Democracy: “Liar’s Dividend”

A second, yet equally impactful implication of AI, is a “liar’s dividend” that makes it easier for politicians to deny real events by blaming AI.  Sadly, AI has become the perfect scapegoat for politicians to conceal illegal and unethical behaviour such as buying votes or discriminating against people or other scandalous and/or disreputable acts.

Urgent Need for Regulation:

Technology companies in the Pacific need to take up proactive roles and invest time and money in regulating and detecting AI-produced deepfakes. Currently, AI tools can easily create fake content, and there are merely a few ways to verify what is real. Technology that detects AI-produced content is not able to keep up with the advances in AI and its capabilities by a long shot. Experts suggest using techniques like watermarking audio to identify AI-generated content. Without these changes, Oceania’s perception of reality will continue to be at risk.

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*An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.