In a recent interview with Reuters, Brad Smith, CEO of Microsoft, touched on artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential operate in disinformation campaigns during the European Parliament elections. In Stockholm, Smith revealed Microsoft’s ambitious plan to invest SEK 33.7 billion ($3.21 billion) to expand cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure in Sweden over the next two years.
Smith stressed the importance of recognizing the risks of artificial intelligence, especially when it comes to the creation of offensive content such as deepfakes. Acknowledging the growing operate of artificial intelligence-generated false information in elections around the world, including in countries such as India, the United States, Pakistan and Indonesia, Smith said Microsoft had not detected significant attempts to operate artificial intelligence in the European Parliament elections.
Highlighting instances of fraudulent videos that emerged during India’s general election in which Bollywood actors criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Smith highlighted the potential threat posed by AI-generated disinformation. He also referred to a recent debunked Russian-language YouTube video, distributed before the European Parliament elections, which falsely claimed that citizens were fleeing the dictatorship in Poland and seeking refuge in Belarus.
With the European Parliament elections approaching and the EU implementing groundbreaking artificial intelligence legislation, Smith revealed that Microsoft is actively training candidates to monitor and combat potential disinformation efforts. Despite the lack of widespread operate of artificial intelligence in the election so far, Smith urged caution, stating that the situation is ongoing and that premature declarations of victory would be unwarranted.
As for other geopolitical developments, Smith mentioned that Russian efforts are focused on the Olympics and suggested that Microsoft is expected to prepare a report soon on related concerns. He recalled the decision of the International Olympic Committee to ban the activities of the Russian Olympic Committee in connection with its recognition of regional Olympic councils in Ukrainian territories under Russian occupation.
As the world prepares for the consequences of artificial intelligence across a variety of sectors, including politics, Microsoft’s proactive stance signals a growing awareness of the need to mitigate the potential risks associated with emerging technologies.
(with support from Reuters)
Posted: Jun 03, 2024 18:39 EST
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