## Google Tightens Political Ad Policies on AI-Generated Content
Google has ushered in changes to its political advertising policies, now necessitating politicians to disclose if they utilise any artificial intelligence-generated or “synthetic” images or videos in their advertisements on its platforms. The change reflects the tech giant’s increasing vigilance against the potential misuse of sophisticated AI tools.
While Google already prohibits the use of “deepfakes” intended to deceive voters, the updated policy necessitates additional transparency. Advertisers will now have to disclose any use of AI technology beyond minor edits such as image color or contrast adjustments. To comply, politicians will be required to attach a label to their advertisements warning viewers about the inclusion of synthetic content.
## Rising Prevalence of Synthetic Content Tools
The move comes in response to the escalating prevalence of “generative” AI tools, which have seen substantial advancements in quality. Google’s Bard chatbot and OpenAI’s Dall-E image generator serve as prime examples of such tools, capable of creating highly realistic content. These tools can now write professional exams and generate images that are often indistinguishable from real photographs.
Google has attributed its policy change to the rising ubiquity of synthetic content production tools. The increased use of these tools has triggered concerns from politicians and democracy activists, who fear they could be used to deceive voters or falsely represent a political opponent’s actions or words.
## Tech Giants Under Pressure
Tech giants Google and Meta, which together command a significant share of online advertising space, have faced mounting pressure to combat false claims on their platforms. In response, Meta also enforces a ban on deepfakes.
The misuse of synthetic content is not a theoretical concern. False images and audio have already found their way into election ads globally. For instance, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s campaign released a video with fake images of Donald Trump hugging former White House coronavirus adviser Anthony S. Fauci. In another instance, a Polish opposition party admitted to using AI-generated audio to fake the country’s prime minister’s voice in an ad.
## New Rules Apply to Advertisements Only
Google’s newly introduced rules will only apply to advertisements and will not affect regular videos uploaded to its YouTube platform. The new regulations are set to take effect in November.
Original Story at www.washingtonpost.com – 2023-09-07 01:13:00
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