Artificial Intelligence in Political Advertising: Actions by Big Tech Ahead of Regulations

Big tech companies, notably Meta and Microsoft, are proactively addressing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in political advertising. This comes as the industry anticipates more stringent regulations from Congress.

Key Points:

• Meta will require disclosure for AI-manipulated political ads and restrict generative AI tools for political campaigns.

• Microsoft and Meta are introducing measures to inform voters about AI-altered political content.

The evolving landscape of political advertising has taken a turn with Meta and Microsoft at the helm, acknowledging the potential perils associated with AI in this sensitive domain. Meta, which owns popular platforms like Facebook and Instagram, has rolled out a policy to require disclosures for political ads that are manipulated using AI.

This policy aims to enhance transparency and prevent the spread of misinformation, a particularly poignant issue as we approach the 2024 Presidential elections.

As the technology landscape continues to evolve, the preemptive measures by these companies underscore a broader move to self-regulate in anticipation of upcoming congressional mandates. These steps are a part of a growing recognition within the tech industry of its responsibility to curb the misuse of its advancements in the political sphere.

References

1. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/technology/big-tech-takes-initiative-stop-ai-2024-political-ads#:~:text=Big%20Tech%20companies%20have%20moved,and%20Microsoft%20announced%20initiatives
2. https://apnews.com/article/fec-artificial-intelligence-deepfakes-election-2024-95399e640bd1e41182f6c631717cc826#:~:text=The%20Federal%20Election%20Commission%20has,use%20artificial%20intelligence%20to
3. https://www.nextgov.com/artificial-intelligence/2023/08/fec-takes-preliminary-step-toward-regulating-ai-political-ads/389356/