University of Kwazulu-Natal

Microsoft Google Meta Pledge Action On Ai Election Risks

Bonisiwe Shabane
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microsoft google meta pledge action on ai election risks

Twenty tech companies working on artificial intelligence said Friday they had signed a “pledge” to try to prevent their software from interfering in elections, including in the United States. The signatories range from tech giants such as Microsoft and Google to a small startup that allows people to make fake voices — the kind of generative-AI product that could be abused in an... The accord is, in effect, a recognition that the companies’ own products create a lot of risk in a year in which 4 billion people around the world are expected to vote in elections. “Deceptive AI Election content can deceive the public in ways that jeopardize the integrity of electoral processes,” the document reads. The accord is also a recognition that lawmakers around the world haven’t responded very quickly to the swift advancements in generative AI, leaving the tech industry to explore self-regulation. One year ago this week, 27 artificial intelligence companies and social media platforms signed an accord that highlighted how AI-generated disinformation could undermine elections around the world.

The signers at a security conference in Munich included Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, and TikTok. They acknowledged the dangers, stating, “The intentional and undisclosed generation and distribution of Deceptive AI Election content can deceive the public in ways that jeopardize the integrity of electoral processes.” The signatories agreed to eight commitments to mitigate the risks that generative AI poses to elections. Companies pledged to: This analysis assesses how the companies followed through on their commitments, based on their own reporting. At the time the accord was signed, the companies involved received positive attention for promising to act to ensure that their products would not interfere with elections.

While the Brennan Center, too, praised these companies for the accord, we also asked how the public should gauge whether the commitments were anything more than PR window-dressing. Read the Brennan Center’s Agenda to Strengthen Democracy in the Age of AI >> Companies had multiple opportunities to report on their progress over the past year, including through updates on the accord’s official website, responses to a formal inquiry from then-Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner (D-VA),... A total of 20 companies have pledged their commitment to various actions aimed at addressing concerns related to artificial intelligence (AI) and election integrity. On Friday, twenty tech companies specializing in AI announced that they had signed a "pledge" to prevent their software from interfering in elections, including those in the United States. The signatories range from industry giants like Microsoft and Google to a small startup that focuses on voice manipulation technology, which has the potential to be misused during elections to create convincing deepfake videos...

The agreement is a recognition that the companies' own products carry significant risks at a time when approximately 4 billion people worldwide are expected to participate in elections. The document states, "Deceptive AI election content can deceive the public in ways that jeopardize the integrity of electoral processes. " Additionally, the accord acknowledges that global lawmakers have been slow to respond to the rapid advancements in generative AI, leaving the tech industry to explore self-regulation. Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft, highlighted this responsibility, stating, "As society embraces the benefits of AI, we have a responsibility to help ensure these tools don't become weaponized in elections. " The 20 companies that have signed the pledge include Adobe, Amazon, Anthropic, Arm, ElevenLabs, Google, IBM, Inflection AI, LinkedIn, McAfee, Meta, Microsoft, Nota, OpenAI, Snap, Stability AI, TikTok, TrendMicro, Truepic, and X. It is important to note that this accord is voluntary and falls short of an outright ban on AI content in elections, which some individuals have called for.

The document, consisting of 1, 500 words, outlines eight steps that the companies intend to implement this year. These steps include developing new tools to differentiate AI-generated images from authentic content and increasing transparency with the public regarding notable advancements. This year is being hailed as the largest year for democracy in history, with elections scheduled to take place in seven of the world's ten most populous countries. In addition to the U. S. election in November, there are upcoming nationwide votes in India, Russia, and Mexico, while elections have already taken place this year in Indonesia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

The concern over the potential for fake voices, images, and videos in politics has been raised following a fake robocall claiming to be from President Joe Biden prior to New Hampshire's primary elections in... Responding to this issue, the Federal Communications Commission recently voted to ban robocalls containing AI-generated voices. Individual tech companies have also implemented their own measures, such as Meta (owner of Facebook and Instagram) planning to label AI-created images, although they have indicated limitations in doing the same with audio and... Nick Clegg, President for Global Affairs at Meta, describes the pledge as a "meaningful step from industry" to combat deceptive content but emphasizes that governments and civil society also need to contribute efforts. "With so many major elections taking place this year, it's vital we do what we can to prevent people from being deceived by AI-generated content, " he added. The announcement of this accord took place during the Munich Security Conference, an annual event where world leaders discuss various challenges.

Attending the conference this weekend are Vice President Kamala Harris and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The topic of generative AI has dominated public and private discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this January. Our unique Content Maker allows you to create an SEO article, social media posts, and a video based on the information presented in the article Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, has recently achieved significant progress in advancing its artificial intelligence capabilities by securing multiple commercial agreements with prominent news organizations. Are AI companies adequately protecting humanity from the risks of artificial intelligence? According to a new report card by the Future of Life Institute, a Silicon Valley nonprofit, the answer is likely no.

FILE - Meta’s president of global affairs Nick Clegg speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 18, 2024. Adobe, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, TikTok and other companies are gathering at the Munich Security Conference on Friday to announce a new voluntary framework for how they will respond to AI-generated deepfakes that deliberately... (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File) Major technology companies signed a pact Friday to voluntarily adopt “reasonable precautions” to prevent artificial intelligence tools from being used to disrupt democratic elections around the world. Executives from Adobe, Amazon, Google, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI and TikTok gathered at the Munich Security Conference to announce a new framework for how they respond to AI-generated deepfakes that deliberately trick voters.

Twelve other companies — including Elon Musk’s X — are also signing on to the accord. “Everybody recognizes that no one tech company, no one government, no one civil society organization is able to deal with the advent of this technology and its possible nefarious use on their own,” said... The accord is largely symbolic, but targets increasingly realistic AI-generated images, audio and video “that deceptively fake or alter the appearance, voice, or actions of political candidates, election officials, and other key stakeholders in... .css-35ezg3{font-weight:600;}Leadership Dinner – Boston – Abe & Louie's – December 4, 2025 .css-pelz90{font-weight:400;}Throughout the evening, you’ll engage in compelling conversations, gain practical insights, and expand your network with top professionals in the fiel... From Data Silos to AI-Enabled Customer Engagement What 300+ business and IT leaders reveal about managing data for AI & CX Watch Now | Building Trusted AI Through Precision AI Agents Discover how precision agents are shaping the future of trusted AI.

Leadership Dinner – Boston – Abe & Louie's – December 4, 2025 Throughout the evening, you’ll engage in compelling conversations, gain practical insights, and expand your network with top professionals in the fiel... From Data Silos to AI-Enabled Customer Engagement What 300+ business and IT leaders reveal about managing data for AI & CX John Callaham Neowin @JCalNEO · Feb 16, 2024 16:50 EST with 4 comments There's been more and more attention being placed on the use of generative AI apps and services to create deepfake images and information. That certainly came to a head a few weeks ago with AI-created images of pop singer Taylor Swift flooded the X social network. Some reports claim the images were made by Microsoft's AI image generator Designer.

As 2024 is also an election year for the office of the US President, there's ev en more concern that AI deepfake images could be used to negatively influence votes in that election as... Today, a large number of tech companies announced they will abide by a new accord that states they will use their resources to combat the use of AI in deceptive election efforts. The agreement, which was announced at the Munich Security Conference, is called the AI Elections Accord. The companies that are on board with this agreement, at this time, are: The press release (in PDF format) announcing the accord states that the above companies have agreed to follow these commitments to combating deepfake election efforts:

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Twenty tech companies working on artificial intelligence said Friday they had signed a “pledge” to try to prevent their software from interfering in elections, including in the United States. The signatories range from tech giants such as Microsoft and Google to a small startup that allows people to make fake voices — the kind of generative-AI product that could be abused in an... The accord is, i...

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