With the invention of the radio, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was established as a means of regulating what is heard — and eventually seen with the invention of the television — by the American public. When the internet became a tool, the government established the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) to regulate any sort of communication over the internet. As technology advances, in theory, so should our laws — and it’s time to get there with generative artificial intelligence (AI).
The 2024 election has become a forefront of the AI movement, with former President Donald Trump using the tool to show generative AI images and videos of himself, his opponent Kamala Harris, tech mogul Elon Musk and others. One striking example that received backlash last month was when Trump posted to his Truth Social account generative AI images of Taylor Swift and her fans with messages to vote for Trump. Swift has since announced her endorsement of Harris.
The list of generative AI images and videos Trump and his allies have posted is long, including those that promote a false rumor of immigrants in Springfield, Ohio eating pets. Generative AI images of cats, dogs and other animals looking supportive of Trump’s campaign flooded the internet after the rumor made it to the helm of the MAGA movement.
It’s not just Trump who is using AI for a political campaign, however. Donny Martinez, a Republican candidate for Osceola County Sheriff in Florida, used generative AI in a political campaign advertisement to show endorsements from both Trump and President Joe Biden. In 2022, a political opponent used AI to create a video of Shreveport, Louisiana Mayor Adrian Perkins in a classroom being called to the principal’s office for “failing the city.”
Though it may seem to be a fun toy now, generative AI will only continue to become more advanced, and we’re already seeing the dangers it can produce. Though most people think of only images, video and ChatGPT when thinking of generative AI, it has already managed to find its way into the world of news.
“Grok” is X’s generative AI bot, and one of its features is that it uses real-time data from X users to share the day’s biggest stories. When Biden dropped out of the race in July, Grok shared fake information regarding Harris’ ability to run for president, saying “The ballot deadline has passed for several states for the 2024 election. Some of these states include: 1. Alabama 2. Indiana 3. Michigan 4. Minnesota 5. New Mexico 6. Ohio 7. Pennsylvania 8. Texas 9. Washington.” None of that information was true, and it urged several political figures to issue a statement to Musk to make changes to Grok’s system.
When used properly, generative AI is an incredibly helpful tool, and there is little doubt that it is the future of many industries. However, there are currently zero federal laws regarding the use of generative AI content in politics. In 2023, Biden signed into law a first-of-its-kind order requiring safety assessments on AI, and it’s time to go further. In order to protect our elections, it is vital we put in place laws regarding the use of generative AI in politics before the 2028 presidential election — or even sooner.
Look at where generative AI was five years ago — ChatGPT and other tools such as Grok were yet to exist. In such a short period of time, we’ve watched it grow into something that can generate fake images and stories of political opponents in seconds. Now think about what it could look like in just another three years as it continues to learn and progress — the possibilities are incomprehensible.
Just as we created the FCC to regulate radio and television, we need a system in place to make sure generative AI keeps its place in society without sacrificing the integrity of our entire political and technological systems. Otherwise, we risk allowing generative AI to spread misinformation, manipulate public opinion and weaken the trust in the government as a whole.
wjackso2@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of Alex Knight, Pexels
