Microsoft President Brad Smith warns of ‘Deepfake’ threat in European elections, urges caution
abusive content such as deepfakes. While acknowledging the growing use of AI-generated deepfakes in elections globally, including in countries like India, the United States, Pakistan, and Indonesia, Smith reassured that Microsoft has not detected significant attempts to exploit AI in the European Parliamentary elections.Highlighting instances of deepfake videos surfacing during India's general election, where Bollywood actors criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Smith underscored the potential threat posed by AI-generated disinformation.
He also referenced a recent debunked Russian-language video on YouTube, circulated ahead of the European Parliament election, which falsely claimed citizens were fleeing dictatorship in Poland for refuge in Belarus.With the European Parliament election on the horizon and the implementation of landmark AI regulations within the EU, Smith revealed that Microsoft has been actively training candidates to monitor and combat potential disinformation efforts. Despite the absence of widespread exploitation of AI in the elections thus far, Smith urged caution, stating that the situation is ongoing and that premature declarations of victory would be unwarranted.Regarding other geopolitical developments, Smith mentioned the focus of Russian efforts on the Olympics and hinted at an upcoming report from Microsoft addressing related concerns.
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