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Last year, we shared an example of how campaigns can use artificial intelligence (AI) in their campaigns by having AI platforms write ad copy or emails like this one (you can read the email written by AI below). Given Elissa’s national security background, we have been thinking a lot about how this type of technology can be used to mislead voters and influence the 2024 elections.
We are already seeing this phenomenon play out in real time – last month, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), launched an ad campaign that featured misleading AI-generated images to enforce their narrative about immigration. We can bet that more organizations, super PACs, and possibly even individual candidates will be using this as a tool to promote certain candidates and drive potentially misleading narratives in their elections.
Ads that use fake footage generated by AI pose a serious threat to our election: Deepfake videos, for example, can misrepresent a person’s statements or actions – or even put words that they never said directly in their AI-generated mouths.
Here in Michigan, our Democratic majorities have worked to address this issue in the hopes of circumventing the impact AI could have on our election. In November, Governor Whitmer signed legislation that will require campaigns to clearly say which political advertisements airing in Michigan were created using AI. It would prohibit use of AI-generated deepfakes within 90 days of an election without a separate disclosure identifying the media as manipulated. These are important steps forward and puts Michigan ahead of others, as the FEC continues to debate how to navigate these ads.
Besides deepfake videos, there's also a serious risk of spreading disinformation through AI-generated robocalls, texts, and social media posts that spread even more quickly than today’s factual news information. For example, fake news accounts that appear real could share falsified stories that are then amplified by other fake accounts – before, ultimately, finding their way into the newsfeeds of everyday people. It can take a lot of effort to reverse this disinformation once it’s in the ecosystem. Some of this disinformation could certainly be aimed at dampening voter turnout, or fake reporting of results.
Look, Elissa is old school (she still hand writes her notes on emails like this one – in mechanical pencil!), but our campaign is always looking to understand how the latest technology will impact us – and to understand how we can navigate the changing landscape of campaigns. We will have to adjust our digital efforts to combat disinformation both in ads and on social media and make sure we’re taking the truth about Elissa and what she stands for to voters wherever they get their information online.
We’ll continue to keep you in the loop on how this develops. In the meantime if you want to help Elissa run an honest, transparent, and human-run campaign – chip in below!
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Team Slotkin
As a refresher, here is the AI email we sent last year, which we had written by AI (really!) to showcase how advanced this technology has become:
“We find ourselves in the midst of an AI election, a new era that's not distant or abstract, but very much here and now. Artificial Intelligence is already influencing the 2024 elections, helping campaigns to identify donors and voters more efficiently. But the potential for misuse is alarming. The creation of 'deepfake' videos, images, and messages that can mislead and deceive voters is a stark reality of this new landscape.
This point was highlighted in a recent Axios article. The report detailed an AI-generated video released by the Republican National Committee, which depicted fictitious scenes to paint a dystopian image of America under a second Biden term. The clear intention was to twist our political discourse, to sow discord and mistrust through manipulation.
Elissa is deeply concerned about the potential misuse of AI in our elections. In her view, democracy is about truth, transparency, and the will of the people, not about who can create the most convincing deepfake or disinformation campaign.
Before we continue, we think it's important to share something with you. This very email, up to this point, was drafted by an AI. Yes, that's right. AI is already so advanced that it can write a coherent, persuasive email like this one.”
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