Alphabet Inc’s Google announced on Tuesday that it will impose restrictions on the types of election-related queries that its chatbot Bard and search generative experience can respond to. These restrictions are expected to be in place by early 2024, ahead of the general elections in India, US Presidential election, and other elections across the globe.
Several significant elections are anticipated in 2024 including national elections in India, the presidential election in the US, and elections in South Africa. Google stated that it would concentrate more on the potential role of artificial intelligence (AI) in serving voters and campaigns related to these elections.
Meta bars political campaigns from using AI advertising products
Meta, the company that owns Facebook also announced in November that it is prohibiting political campaigns and advertisers in other regulated industries from using its new generative AI advertising products. Advertisers on Meta will also be required to disclose when AI or other digital methods are used to modify or create political, social, or election-related advertisements on Facebook and Instagram.
Elon Musk’s social media platform X allows political advertising
On the other hand, Elon Musk’s social media platform X, currently under investigation by the European Union, announced in August that it would now permit political advertising in the US from candidates and political parties. The platform also plans to expand its safety and elections team ahead of the US election. This is a significant change, as all political ads had been banned globally on X since 2019.
Global governments rally to regulate AI
Governments worldwide have been rallying to regulate AI due to the threats it poses, such as the spread of misinformation, especially during elections. Big Tech firms will face new European Union rules to clearly label political advertising on their platforms, including information about who paid for it, how much was spent, and which elections are being targeted.
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