Demystifying AI: AI and Choices

Predictive AI

Predictive AI is a standard part of voter outreach today, helping campaigns refine the ways they identify, reach and engage voters. Predictive AI allows campaigns to use available voter and consumer data to “micro-target” voters personalized ads and fundraising requests. For smaller campaigns, such tools can level the playing field to expand their reach and attract new audiences. Beyond the campaign trail, predictive AI can also contributes to the facilitation of electoral management by automating administrative tasks such as updating voter lists, verifying voters and informing resource allocation. In addition, predictive AI tools enable real-time data analysis that can help officials identify and respond to threats or anomalies during the election monitoring process.

However, predictive AI also carries common privacy concerns associated with the underlying data collection and the use required to power these systems. That The Cambridge Analytica scandal of 2016 demonstrates, access to such data can be misused to spread targeted polarizing and misleading information. In addition, without the necessary guarantees and transparencypredictive AI tools can be used to continue voter suppression. As with any predictive AI system, election-related AI can amplify discrimination based on biased data or data formation. Without sufficient human oversight and auditing, excessive reliance on AI systems can result inappropriate outcomes and overlooked challengesleaving affected people without recourse.

Even predictive AI tools implemented well in advance of election season can have an impact at the polls. For example, an AI tool is used identify gerrymandering can help address systemic injustices, but could also be misused for partisan purposes diluting voter impact— especially as AI tools are deployed to help forecast and map population changes.

Generative AI

One of the biggest concerns dominating the public conversation is the use of generative AI to produce campaign materials and sow electoral disinformation and disinformation. Campaigns use AI to generate political ads and creates deepfakes of political figures and celebrities. The misuse of technology has led to the misrepresentation of political opponents and forged noticeswhile also it disproportionately targets black voters and fuel supply foreign influence operations. However, not all use of generative AI is malicious – for example, candidates in India used deepfakes to pretend to speak in different dialects to better reach voters in all regions. However, even when implemented with the best of intentions, generative AI tools can have negative effects. AI-based chatbots and summaries of search results, for example, can lead to misinformation, increasing the challenges for disabled voters. In light of these concerns, some campaigns are sfiindu the from a full release of AI tools, while major technology companies are committed to limiting election-related misuse of their products.

As with predictive AI, generative AI tools can be used beneficially and detrimentally. While disinformation and misinformation misled, influenced and polarized voters long before the advent of artificial intelligence, this evolving technology can amplify the associated risks. To more effectively inform voters and combat misinformation, more research is needed to better understand the disproportionate impact of generative AI on misinformation and the results of specific elections.