State AG warns of AI-driven election misinformation

Between fake claims from chatbots to deepfake videos spread by social media bots, voters have their plates full of things to worry about this election season. As concerns mount about the potential impact of artificial intelligence technologies on American democracy, state Attorney General Letitia James’ office is releasing an AI election misinformation guide aimed at voters.

The guide advises voters not to rely on AI chatbots for election information and to be skeptical of content that appears emotionally charged, sensational or surprising. It also asks voters to keep an eye out for content that seems unnatural and to avoid sharing any content that appears to be artificially generated. New Yorkers who come across any election-related deepfakes are encouraged to report it to James’ dedicated Election Protection Hotline.

“New Yorkers deserve to be well-informed, not misinformed, about their choices for the upcoming November elections,” James said in a statement. “AI-created deep fakes that spread lies about candidates, policy proposals, and even where New Yorkers can access the polls all represent a dangerous threat to democracy. The guide my office created will be a useful resource to help voters better identify AI-generated misinformation, and to empower them to arrive at the polls with accurate information about the elections and the candidate they wish to support.”

New York’s had its fair share of artificial intelligence-based election drama. In January, Manhattan Democratic Party Chair Keith Wright had to address a deepfake audio recording that seemed to depict him making rude comments about Assembly Member Inez Dickens. In April, City & State discovered that Meta AI’s chatbot falsely claimed several state lawmakers had been accused of sexual misconduct. That same month, Assembly Member Alex Bores and his peers in the Future Caucus, a bipartisan group of millennial state lawmakers, were aghast to see a deepfake depicting him in a prison jumpsuit. Russia's sustained election interference looms in the background as well.

“I urge New Yorkers to be more careful about the sources they use and the information they consume about the elections,” James said.