AI and and the 2024 elections

I have all sorts of mixed emotions about this piece from the Economist. On the one hand, it reeks of the sort of apologist mindset that allows our media and political systems to be manipulated in 2016 by Donald Trump in his first run for the presidency. We will be caught flat footed if we try to excuse the way bad agents might use artificial intelligence in political campaigns simply on the basis that corruption is nothing new. On the other hand, I do think this is a reasonable balance to the takes that suggest AI will fundamentally upend our political system.

Regardless, one thing that is absolutely true is that our regulations will only be as useful and effective as we make them, and relying on tech and media firms to do the right thing is the surest path to failure. Plan for the worst, hope for the best, and keep our eyes open. This seems like the minimum we should be pushing for from our elected officials and policy makers.

Technological determinism, which pins all the foibles of people on the tools they use, is tempting. But it is also wrong. Although it is important to be mindful of the potential of generative AI to disrupt democracies, panic is unwarranted. Before the technological advances of the past two years, people were quite capable of transmitting all manner of destructive and terrible ideas to one another. The American presidential campaign of 2024 will be marred by disinformation about the rule of law and the integrity of elections. But its progenitor will not be something newfangled like ChatGPT. It will be Mr Trump.