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What happened: Meta's independent fact-checkers are assigning warning labels to AI-generated images rather than removing them altogether, sources told The Washington Post. Campaign officials recently asked Meta how it would handle AI images on Facebook and Instagram. Their concerns lie in part in the impacts that AI-generated media could have on U.S. democracy ahead of the 2024 election. Why it matters: Experts are raising the alarm about AI programs spreading political misinformation. As text and image generators like ChatGPT and Midjourney become more sophisticated, critics worry that the threat could have serious repercussions to alter public perception (as shown by the recent Midjourney-created photos of Donald Trump). What the numbers say: Greater rollout of AI — and a greater awareness of how it is misused — have led to an uptick in AI incidents and controversies. In 2021, there were 26x more reported AI issues than in 2012, according to the AI, Algorithmic, and Automation Incidents and Controversies repository. Stanford HAI's AI Index showed a 340% jump in the number of AI controversies from 2017 to 2021. Brands that should care: Facebook, Twitter, and all other social media platforms face a difficult time ahead trying to stem the tide of fake content. Since checkers are often slow to react to false information, viral AI images could reach millions of people before they are taken down. |
