Google News
As the digital era permeates every facet of our lives, our understanding of what's real and what's digitally altered becomes ever more crucial. Google, recognizing the significance of this issue, has made a significant move.
The tech giant will soon mandate that all political advertisements on its platforms clearly indicate when their images or audio components have been synthesized using artificial intelligence (AI).
Responding to the AI Wave
Google's decision comes in light of the "growing prevalence of tools that produce synthetic content", as highlighted by a company representative to the BBC.
This change is on the horizon for November, strategically timed about a year before the forthcoming US presidential race. Behind this move lies a palpable apprehension: the potential of AI to amplify disinformation, especially during political campaigns.
Google isn't new to taking preventive measures. Their pre-existing ad protocols already prohibit the use of digital media manipulation aimed at misleading the public on political, social, or other pertinent issues. Google has always been transparent about its ad sources, necessitating political advertisers to reveal their identities.
Moreover, it ensures these advertisements and their messages are accessible via its online ads library. For Google, the key lies in transparency. Their stipulation demands that any disclosures regarding digitally altered content in election promotions be both "clear and conspicuous", strategically positioned where viewers can easily spot them.
To elucidate further, instances that would necessitate such a label encompass synthetic imagery or audio, portraying individuals in acts they didn't commit or showcasing events that never transpired.
AI's Growing Power: A Double-Edged Sword?
A recent controversy underscores the pressing nature of this issue.
In June, a campaign video from Ron DeSantis targeting former President Trump bore evidence of AI intervention. This video, disseminated via a tweet, showcased seemingly modified images of Mr. Trump warmly embracing Anthony Fauci from the US coronavirus task force.
Though manipulated images aren't novel, the rapid advancements in the generative AI domain and its possible misuse have alarmed AI specialists. Despite the challenges, Google remains resilient. As they pave the way in making political advertising more transparent, the company also emphasizes its continuous commitment to harnessing technology in detecting and purging such misleading content.