Several AI deepfake instances detected in EU elections, as per Microsoft president’s statement
During an interview with Reuters, the president of Microsoft mentioned that there has been no widespread implementation of artificial intelligence in the European Parliamentary elections to propagate disinformation campaigns.
Brad Smith, while in Stockholm, unveiled Microsoft’s commitment to invest 33.7 billion Swedish crowns ($4.8 billion) to enhance its cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure in Sweden over a two-year span.
According to Smith, “The potential risks associated with AI in facilitating abusive content need to be acknowledged, where AI-generated deepfakes represent one facet of such abusive content.”
Instances of AI and AI-generated counterfeits, such as deepfakes, have been on the rise in elections held in various regions globally, including India, the United States, Pakistan, and Indonesia.
In India, videos featuring deepfakes surfaced, showcasing two prominent Bollywood actors criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urging support for the opposition Congress party during the national elections.
Recently, the European Union’s team dedicated to combatting disinformation debunked a video in Russian on YouTube, acquired by Google, alleging that citizens were fleeing a dictatorship in the EU member state Poland and seeking refuge in Belarus, a staunch ally of Moscow.
The European Parliament elections are scheduled for June 6-9, coinciding with the enforcement of the EU’s notable regulations on AI, which are posed to set a potential global standard for the technology prevalent in both commerce and daily life.
As stressed by Smith, Microsoft has been grooming candidates for the European Parliament to oversee the situation.
Noting that “There hasn’t been a noteworthy effort to manipulate these elections,” Smith emphasized, “As the elections are ongoing, declaring success prematurely would be premature.”
“Our primary focus has been on the Russian activities surrounding the Olympics,” added Smith, announcing Microsoft’s plan to publish a detailed report on the subject later this week.
The International Olympic Committee had banned the Russian Olympic Committee in October due to their recognition of regional Olympic bodies from areas of Ukraine under Russian influence, including Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
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