The U.N. Sounds the Alarm on AI Disinformation
Recently, the United Nations decided it was time to sound the alarm bells on artificial intelligence-generated media, declaring it a “serious and urgent” peril to our good old information integrity. As if we didn’t have enough to worry about, right? In a report released on June 12, the U.N. highlighted that the evolution of technology, particularly generative AI and deepfakes, has amplified the risk of disinformation online.
Why the Alarm? Disinformation, Deepfakes, and Even the Stock Market!
The risk of encountering a sneaky piece of misinformation is now more palpable than ever. The U.N. warned that the information distributed via social media isn’t just misleading; it sometimes is presented so convincingly that it takes the form of true facts. Let’s not forget the infamous incident last month when the S&P 500 experienced a brief dip thanks to an AI-generated image showing a non-existent explosion near the Pentagon. Talk about a bad day for investors!
Time to Take Action: A Call for Responsibility
The U.N. isn’t just sitting on the sidelines; they’ve called for AI stakeholders to jump into action to tackle the rampant spread of false information. They’ve urged for “urgent and immediate” measures for responsible AI use. It seems the era of “move fast and break things” might have finally worn out its welcome in Silicon Valley.
António Guterres: The Man with the Plan
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres raised the stakes even higher during a press conference, proclaiming that the “alarm bells” surrounding generative AI are “deafening.” He stressed the dangers posed not only by AI itself but by the digital technology that enables the dissemination of hate speech and misinformation. According to him, our democracy and human rights are on the line. No pressure, right?
Preparing for the Future: The Upcoming U.N. Code of Conduct
In the hope of steering the situation into safer waters, Guterres mentioned the imminent development of a U.N. Code of Conduct for Information Integrity on Digital Platforms. This set of principles aims to be voluntarily adopted by governments, digital platforms, and stakeholders ahead of the Summit of the Future—a major conference planned for September 2024. Fingers crossed that it goes better than a lot of other conferences!
Calls for New Frameworks from Global Leaders
As if that weren’t enough, on June 13, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair and fellow Conservative politician William Hague churned out a sobering report that underscored the urgent need for a global framework addressing AI’s complexities and potential perils. They summarily stated that AI could usher in the “most substantial policy challenge ever faced” due to its unpredictable growth and increasing authority.
