As the date for the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, now less than a year away, artificial intelligence is becoming an active player in the race. AI is likely to change the fate of the elections; however, due to the distrust many Americans harbor towards politicians and the lack of regulatory frameworks surrounding AI, it is probable that these technological integrations will remain "behind the scenes," experts say. According to CNBC, Kevin Perez Allen, Chief Communications Officer at United States of Care, a healthcare advocacy organization, stated that AI will help analyze data related to voting patterns, craft messages for voters, and assess trends on social media.
Perez Allen has decades of experience as a political campaign communications professional and has witnessed the evolution of campaigns alongside technology. For example, ChatGPT is already producing first drafts of speeches and campaign marketing materials, in addition to being used in emails and texts for fundraising, he noted. Perez Allen mentioned that there is a lot in the campaign front that AI can simulate.
Sinclair Shuler, co-founder and managing partner at Nuvalence, an AI implementation firm that has helped governments integrate AI, highlights the risks of AI in the electoral space. Shuler stated, "We will see many fictional stories being concocted in favor of and against candidates." He refers to "deepfakes," or "unreal" videos, images, and audio created by AI.
Previous Examples
During the Chicago mayoral primary elections, a fake video of candidate Paul Vallas surfaced, showing him appearing to approve of police violence. Ultimately, Vallas lost the race. The battle between "fake" content created by AI and detection mechanisms attempting to eradicate it will undoubtedly intensify as the U.S. presidential election draws nearer.
