The author further explores the idea of AI-created digital personas running for public office, despite the current requirement for a candidate to be an actual person. The article presents a hypothetical scenario where a digital persona, "Milkbot," runs as a write-in candidate in a future San Francisco mayoral election and receives more votes than any human candidate. This scenario raises questions about the potential for manipulation or misuse of AI in political processes and prompts discussions about the role of technology in society and the nature of democracy.
Key takeaways:
- AI is increasingly being used to represent or misrepresent the opinions of historical and current figures, with the technology existing to create an AI political actor.
- Deepfake technology, which uses AI to create or manipulate images, video and audio content, is raising ethical concerns as it can be used to clone both historical and current public figures with the potential to manipulate public opinion and alter elections.
- There have been recent examples of AI being used for political purposes, such as the use of AI to clone the voice of Pakistan's former prime minister, Imran Khan, for campaign speeches, and the creation of an AI-generated deepfake video of former Indonesian president Suharto to influence voters.
- The article suggests the possibility of an AI-created digital persona being put forward for public office, raising questions about representation, accountability and the potential for manipulation or misuse of AI in political processes.