After the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the rapid spread of misinformation online severely impacts Americans' perceptions of candidates, as well as public health, climate change, and immigration topics. The development of generative AI, along with its ability to create deepfake content and its tendency to 'hallucinate' facts, may further exacerbate this issue. Image credit: Image generated by AI, licensed from Midjourney. To address this challenge, Norwegian startup Factiverse was born.

As the U.S. elections approach, AI search engines are facing significant challenges. At this critical moment, major tech companies are striving to provide accurate and reliable information to address concerns about misinformation and the 'hallucinations' generated by AI content. In this competition, Perplexity AI has caught attention with its new AI Election Center. This platform offers real-time updates, incorporating data from the Associated Press and collaborating with the nonprofit voter guidance site Democracy Works.

Recently, a study released by Adobe titled 'Authenticity in the Age of AI' revealed that many people feel confused and anxious when obtaining information due to the increasing prevalence of AI-generated content. The survey, which included 2,000 US consumers, shows that concerns about misinformation are growing ahead of the upcoming 2024 US presidential election. The results indicate that 94% of respondents are very worried that misinformation will affect the upcoming election results. Image source note: Image generated by AI, image licensed by service provider.

In Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil, G20 leaders reached an important consensus this Friday, deciding to work together to combat misinformation and establish guidelines for the future development of artificial intelligence. This is the first time in G20 history that the issue of misinformation has been explicitly acknowledged, calling on digital platforms to enhance transparency and accountability. Source Note: Image generated by AI, image licensed from provider Midjourney. João Brant, Digital Policy Secretary under Brazilian President Lula, stated in an interview with the Associated Press that G20 representatives emphasized the importance of digital platforms.

Musk's social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has made adjustments to address the issue of misinformation related to the 2024 presidential election, particularly targeting its AI system Grok to guide users to official information sources like vote.gov for the latest election updates. Several Secretaries of State in the U.S. have expressed concerns about Grok's errors in handling election-related matters, pointing out that it may lead to confusion and demanding corrections. Grok mistakenly claimed that the ballot deadlines in certain states had passed after President Biden announced his withdrawal from the race, causing widespread concern.

Two papers reveal that content generated by generative AI may be regarded as 'nonsense', highlighting the challenges posed to public servants due to its disregard for accuracy. The erroneous information produced by generative AI differs from intentional lies, and the papers argue that using the term 'nonsense' is more precise, aiding the public's understanding of technology. Currently, AI laws and regulations are incomplete and cannot effectively prevent the harm caused by such misinformation. The authors suggest the introduction of regulations similar to those in the publishing field, emphasizing the avoidance of 'casual statements' that could cause social harm, ensuring that truth is not compromised.

Google Cloud's Vertex AI aims to help businesses leverage Google's machine learning and large language models to build services, and is rolling out new features to prevent applications and services from spreading inaccurate information.

Meta has released an action plan for the EU elections, increasing efforts to combat misinformation. Experts are concerned that Meta's plans to counter rumors have limitations. Meta enhances AI content transparency, but it is challenging to identify deepfakes. Experts believe that genuine voices are easily manipulated, and protecting democracy remains a challenge.

Experts indicate that OpenAI's latest video generation tool, Sora, may contribute to misinformation and bias. Sora has showcased fake videos of Dalmatian dogs, Chinese New Year parades, and archaeologists digging chairs. Experts are concerned that Sora will exacerbate the issue of false information and government propaganda on the internet, blurring the lines between real and fake content. OpenAI has taken measures to prevent the misuse of Sora, but experts remain worried about its potential for deepfake video capabilities.

Meta has announced that it will label AI-generated images on Facebook and Instagram to help users distinguish between real and false information. The company is collaborating with the industry to establish technical standards, expanding the initiative to videos and audio in response to the issue of false content. This initiative has garnered attention, and the labels will be gradually rolled out, covering major global elections, with an effort to identify false content. Technology industry partners are working together to create authenticity standards for content and promote the implementation of digital watermarking.

OpenAI announces its 2024 election plan, prohibiting tools that impersonate candidates or governments, and preventing their use for campaigning and lobbying. It introduces digital certificates to combat forgery of images generated by Dall-E, simplifying the discernment process. OpenAI tools will direct users with voting inquiries to the authoritative site CanIVote.org. The initiative is in the rollout phase and relies on user reports of misconduct. Experts warn that as the election approaches, the risk of misinformation rises, calling for the cultivation of media literacy to question information.

Experts warn that as the 2024 presidential election approaches, misinformation related to elections may become a more serious issue. The measures to prevent false narratives are diminishing, while the tools and networks for spreading misinformation are becoming more powerful. Prior to the 2024 presidential election, experts caution that election-related misinformation could become a larger problem. Regulation in political advertising, and the widespread use of AI technology, has increased the risks of misinformation.

The research shows that large language models like ChatGPT often repeat misinformation such as conspiracy theories and harmful stereotypes. They found that GPT-3 frequently makes mistakes, contradicting itself within a single response while repeating harmful misinformation. Researchers employed four different survey templates covering six categories of facts and misinformation.

The study found that large language models recurrently propagate conspiracy theories, harmful stereotypes, and other misinformation. ChatGPT exhibits frequent errors, contradictions, and the repetition of harmful information. The context and phrasing of questions can influence the model's degree of 'endorsement' of misinformation. The learning process of large language models may lead to the assimilation of erroneous information, raising concerns.

Germany's most popular news program, Tagesschau, has encountered misinformation, with AI-generated fake audio spreading on social media and even appearing at protest events. The fake audio includes reports on the Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic, along with purported apologies and 'condemnations' of the protesters. The editor-in-chief of Tagesschau clarified that these materials are fake, with mechanical voices and incorrect intonations, potentially damaging the fundamental order of freedom and democracy. This incident serves as a reminder for social media platforms and the news industry to strengthen regulation to uphold the authenticity and integrity of information.

CBS News has established a verification department focused on addressing AI deepfakes and misinformation. The department is led by CBS News and television's Senior Vice Presidents Claudia Milne and Ross Dagen. CBS plans to hire specialists, invest in new technologies, and produce segments explaining misinformation to help viewers better understand it.

According to the latest poll, 58% of American adults believe that misinformation will increase in the 2024 election and hold AI tools responsible. The vast majority feel negatively about candidates using AI to create false or misleading media, edit photos or videos, tailor political ads to voter preferences, and use chatbots to answer voters' questions. The public is skeptical of the information provided by AI chatbots and prefers to consult news media, friends and family, and social media for information about the presidential election.

U.S. President Biden issued an AI executive order aimed at addressing challenges in the tech sector, one of which is how to distinguish the authenticity of images. The order calls for the development of digital watermark standards to help users identify genuine images and their owners. Experts indicate that digital watermarking is not the only solution to the misinformation problem and that there are risks of it being bypassed.

In just two months, developers used OpenAI tools to build an AI propaganda machine aimed at demonstrating the dangers of mass production of misinformation by AI. The developers did not deploy the model out of ethical concerns.