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Expert have warned Arfiticial Intelligence could wreak havoc on the next election, with the internet potentially flooded with misleading AI-written content, or chatbots conducting coordinated disinformation campaigns.
AI’s ability to spread misinformation is already being shown, for example in recent fake AI-generated images of Donald Trump being arrested that went viral, or French President Emmanuel Macron being present at the protests currently gripping France.
AI also presents possible positives, including new methods of surveying voters in order to gain insights of what matters to them, or creating chatbots that can objectively discuss different policies with voters to help them understand them.
It also is not predicted to take long after the election before AIs start presenting policy challenges as well, as they affect jobs (and possibly make some roles redundant), plagiarise work, and potentially provide criminals with a new toolbox.
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Psychologist and AI commentator Paul Duignan said a question Kiwis should be asking at meet the candidates gatherings was: “what are your policies on AI?”
Despite this, policies are thin on the ground among the country’s largest political parties.
A Labour spokesperson said the party’s manifesto was yet to be released, so they were unable to answer whether the party would consider using AIs during the upcoming election campaign.
Minister for Digital Economy and Communications Ginny Andersen said people-centred, inclusive and ethical artificial intelligence held many opportunities, but as with many technologies, AI could be used in ways that cause harm.
“Technology is rapidly developing, and AI is no exception; there are benefits to learning from the experiences of other countries as we consider our own approach to AI,” she said.
There is some disagreement between commentators about the extent to which the October election might be affected by AIs.
Sarah Hendrica Bickerton, who has a PhD in public policy and has been researching social and political behaviour online since the 1990s, says the New Zealand election was likely to escape the worst of AI-powered intervention, but elections in 2024 (which includes a UK election, a US presidential election, and an Australian election) likely would be hit.
The National Party was not able to provide any AI-centred policies or plans prior to publication.
It was the Green Party that provided the most comprehensive answer, with a spokesperson stating the party did not intend to use ChatGPT or any similar chatbot during the election and campaigns.
“We will not be using bots as a means to engage with voters or develop copy,” the spokesperson said.
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It also is not predicted to take long after the election before AIs start presenting policy challenges as well, as they affect jobs (and possibly make some roles redundant), plagiarise work, and potentially provide criminals with a new toolbox.
On the effects of the workforce, the party said it was committed to ensuring a just transition as new technologies affected workers.
“Our priorities are ensuring that everyone has what they need to live a decent life whether in or out of work, including a guaranteed minimum income, and that everyone has access to training opportunities following job loss.
“We’re also concerned to ensure that there aren’t society-wide effects of job losses – for example, it’s essential for democracy and that our media have skilled investigative and data journalists.”
The spokesperson said the Greens were concerned about the potential disruptive effect AI tools like ChatGPT could have on our democracy.
“At the same time, there is potential in tools like ChatGPT to combat fake news as well.”
“As with any new technology, the Green Party will be focused on ensuring appropriate regulation is in place for how it is used, including transparency requirements for content produced using ChatGPT without independent fact checking.”
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Two professionals take on ChatGPT, asking it the most common questions they receive, and giving feedback on how well the chatbot does, and whether they feel their jobs are threatened.
The Act Party were briefer in outlining their plans for AI, with a spokesperson saying: “We don’t have any plans to use AI.”
The party was positive about the potential impact on the workforce.
“So far as job losses, AI is already being used by NZ firms to write copy, but every new technology so far has failed to reduce employment, in fact we have an extreme labour shortage.”