The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in publications on social networks is more common than expected. The Specialized Unit on Media and Opinion Studies of the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) has identified publications in which IA has been used with political figures in the country. Some of them seek that users enter the links to steal their data, so files that are under investigation of the general inspection have been opened.
In social networks there have also been cases in which AI has been used to promote a politician with the intention of being sanctioned, although propaganda does not come from their profile. To this are added “black campaign” against certain characters.
To date, there are 77 files open for possible promotion of politicians in the country, including cases of alleged use of AI.
They go within the files, currently within these types of cases and those of possible electoral campaign are 77 files that are already transferred to the General Inspection (…) are varied because the use of artificial intelligence does not necessarily have to be a bot or a chat, but there are also systems that allow as the creation of virtual reality or other topics, he presented on the subject Pablo Portocarrero, head of the unit.
According to the official, the investigations will determine whether or not cases must be presented to the Public Ministry.
General Inspection is already responsible for the Supreme Electoral Court for submitting complaints to the Public Ministry, and through the investigation that the MP will do will have its criminal consequences. In the case of the Court, then, we delimit the electoral, to which the law establishes, and also, to administratively verify and sanction the case of bad practices within the platforms, he said.
Portocarrero explained that AI can be used by political parties during the electoral campaign, but currently in the unit they are in a process of restructuring and training to identify when a video was prepared by technological tools, in order to avoid misinformation.
To identify when a video or an image is made by artificial intelligence, in order to be able to verify that all the images are not used to misinform the population, especially the day of the elections, and that they can create unnecessary or malicious chaos for this type of profiles, the official said.
According to Portocarrero, they will give training to political organizations, especially in the municipalities where there is a history of conflict, to make good use of social networks. In the case, an image or video is detected by means of AI that affects the image of some politician or generates misinformation, political figures may denounce them directly on the platforms.