AI use in political ads could tip the scales of elections
AT FIRST MEDICARE DIRECT.
>> WON'T BE LONG. FEW ARE THAN
380 DAYS BEFORE WE ELECT THE
NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES. AND THE CAMPAIGN ADS.
THEY'RE GOING TO START WELL
BEFORE THEN. AS MATTER OF FACT,
I THINK THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED
AND THEY CAN SHARE MISLEADING
INFORMATION. NEW TECHNOLOGY
ENABLES BAD ACTORS TO SHOW YOU
A FALSE REALITY. WRAL'S PAUL
SPAY EXPLAINS.
>> AN IMAGE OF FORMER PRESIDENT
DONALD GAME FORMER HEALTH
ADVISER DOCTOR ANTHONY FAUCI.
THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE.
THERE'S THIS RECORDING WAS
LOCKING PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
TALKING ABOUT REGAIN HIS
COUNTRY'S ELECTION. AND THEN
THERE'S VIDEO OF HUNDREDS OF
IMMIGRANTS MAKING THEIR WAY TO
THE SOUTHERN U.S. BORDER AND
THESE PROVOCATIVE CLIPS WERE
ALL USED AS POLITICAL ADS TO
SMEAR CERTAIN CANDIDATES.
AND THEY'RE ALL COMPLETELY
FAKE. ALL GENERATED USING
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
THE TOLL THAT'S TAKING
POLITICAL PROPAGANDA TO NEW
HEIGHTS. YOU CAN ACTUALLY PUT
STUFF INTO VIDEOS OR PHOTOS
THAT WASN'T THERE TO BEGIN
WITH.
>> WHAT YOU CAN ALSO KIND OF
MAKE SOMETHING WHOLE CLOCK OUT
OF NOTHING. AND THAT'S WHAT
SCARES MISINFORMATION. EXPERTS
LIKE AMANDA STURGILL.
>> SHE SAYS THE QUALITY OF SOME
OF THE AI-GENERATED ADS IS
BECOMING SO GOOD THAT MANY
VOTERS MAY THINK IT'S
AUTHENTIC. DEMOCRACY DEPENDS
ON HAVING AN INFORMED
ELECTORATE, RIGHT AND BEING
INFORMED ELECTORATE JUST GOT A
LOT HARDER. GOVERNOR KIM
REYNOLDS IS A CONSERVATIVE
CHAMPION. TAKE THIS AD FROM THE
NEVER BACK DOWN SUPER PAC WHICH
SUPPORTS RON DESANTIS FOR
PRESIDENT FROM THE GROUP USED
AI TO MAKE AUDIO. THAT SOUNDS
LIKE A CLIP OF FORMER PRESIDENT
TRUMP BASHING IOWA'S REPUBLICAN
GOVERNOR. I OPENED UP THE
GOVERNOR'S POSITION TO GET
RATTLED IN WHICH SHE FELL
BEHIND BY AND FORCED HER TO
TAKE RALLIES AND SHE WANTED TO
KNOW SHE WAS SURE REMAINS
NEUTRAL. I DON'T INVITE HER
TO ATTEND. SOUNDS LIKE TRUMP,
RIGHT? BUT IT'S NOT. AND
THEY'RE VIRTUALLY NO LAWS TO
REGULATE THIS KIND OF DECEPTION
AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL OR AT THE
STATE LEVEL HERE IN NORTH
CAROLINA. SOME COMPANIES SUCH
AS GOOGLE AND YOUTUBE ARE
REQUIRING POLITICAL GROUPS TO
LABEL HAS MADE WITH AI. BUT
OTHER POPULAR PLATFORMS SUCH
AS FACEBOOK AND X, ALSO KNOWN
AS TWITTER HAVE NO LABELING
SYSTEM. WE ASKED TRIANGLE
RESIDENTS WHETHER THE
GOVERNMENT SHOULD GET INVOLVED
AT ALL AND HEARD MIXED RESULTS.
WE SHOULD HAVE STANDARDS IN
A GOOD LEADER SHOULD ABIDE BY
THOSE TINDER'S. HOW QUICKLY
DOES THAT BECOME A FIRST
AMENDMENT QUESTION OF
>> THIS IMAGE IS OK, BUT AND
EDUCATE AND THIS ONE IS WE ALSO
ASKED PEOPLE HOW THEY FEEL OF
THEIR FAVORITE CANDIDATE USED
AI TO TRICK VOTERS. I WOULD
BE UPSET WITH THEM BECAUSE
THERE'S NO NEED TO DO TO GET
THE CAMPAIGN IS CAN BE EASILY
ONE AND JUST PROVIDING THE
TREES. GOOD BUDDY. MEAN, THIS
IS A THAT'S KIND OF COUNTRY.
I MEAN, UMASS HAS BEEN LIKE
THAT FOR FOR HOW SO WHAT CAN
YOU DO TO DETECT AI AND
POLITICAL ADS? WELL, IF IT'S
AUDIO LISTENING TO SEE IF THE
SPEAKER'S VOICE IS CHOPPY, IF
YOU HEAR THAT CHOPPING US, IT'S
A SIGN THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN
MANIPULATED. NOW WITH IMAGES.
>> TAKE A LOOK AT TRUMP'S HANDS
HERE. FLAT. THEY DON'T HAVE
MUCH TO MENTION LIKE THEY
SHOULD. HERE'S ANOTHER DETAIL.
THESE LETTERS ON THE SIGN THERE
JUMBLE. THEY'RE JUST A BUNCH OF
LETTERS. IT DOESN'T SAY WHITE
HOUSE OR WASHINGTON LIKE IT
SHOULD. SO THESE ARE LITTLE
THINGS THAT YOU CAN LOOK OUT
FOR. BUT WE ALL KNOW THESE ADS
MOVE FAST. SO IT'S POSSIBLE
THAT A LOT OF THIS STUFF JUST
GOES COMPLETELY UNDETECTED.
>> AND TRYING TO WEED OUT
MISINFORMATION AND POLITICS
IS IN PART WHY WE PARTNER WITH
FACT CHECKERS AT POLITIFACT
AND PAUL TELLS US IT MAY NOT
BE LONG UNTIL WE SEE ONE OF
THOSE AI-GENERATED ADS RUN