By According to Microsoft President Brad Smith, the recent European Parliament elections saw the worrying emergence of AI-generated deep fakes. While Smith acknowledged the number of deep fakes identified was relatively low, he emphasized the potential threat this technology poses to democratic processes.
Deepfakes are hyper-realistic videos or audio recordings that manipulate a person’s likeness to make them appear to say or do something they never did. In the context of elections, deep fakes could damage a candidate’s reputation by fabricating compromising statements or actions.
This raises serious concerns about the future of elections. The ease with which deepfakes can be created and distributed online makes them difficult to detect and debunk, potentially swaying public opinion through misinformation.
Microsoft, however, seems prepared. Smith highlighted the company’s involvement in the Tech Accord to Combat Deceptive Use of AI in 2024 Elections. This initiative, signed by 27 leading tech companies, aims to develop tools and strategies to address the challenge of deepfakes.
These efforts include:
- Content Credentials: Technologies to track the origin and authenticity of online content, making it easier to identify deepfakes.
- Watermarking and Provenance: Embedding digital watermarks in content to trace its source and prevent manipulation.
- Public Awareness Campaigns: Educating voters on how to identify and critically evaluate online content, especially deepfakes.
While the recent EU elections witnessed minimal deep fake use, Microsoft’s warning serves as a timely reminder of the potential dangers this technology poses. Continued vigilance and collaboration between tech companies, governments, and voters will be crucial in safeguarding democratic processes from the malicious use of deep fakes.
