As the 2024 US presidential race heats up, so too is a race to handle and respond to the inevitable use of artificial intelligence in campaign advertisements.
Given the aggressive nature of politics and the quickening pace of AI development, both the tech giants and regulators may be facing an uphill battle.
Shortly after US President Joe Biden in April announced his plans to seek re-election for the Democratic Party, the Republican National Committee responded with what it described as an ad “built entirely” by artificial intelligence.
The ad depicts Mr Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris hypothetically getting re-elected in 2024, with images of the two generated by artificial intelligence, combined with fake images of the US border being overrun, banks boarded up and crime running rampant.
It ends with a solemn-looking, AI-generated image of Mr Biden with his elbows on his desk in the Oval Office, frustratingly staring at his desk.
Not surprisingly, the Democratic National Committee wasted no time responding to the ad and its AI-generated imagery.
“In incredibly telling fashion, the RNC had to make up images,” read the news release. “Because quite simply, they can’t argue with President Biden’s results.”
Aside from the obvious political rebuttal of the ad, some say there are bigger issues to be addressed as AI becomes more prevalent in campaign advertising.
“We’re on the edge of something here and it’s good to proceed with caution,” said Timothy Kneeland, a political science and history professor at Nazareth College in upstate New York.
But that, he warned, might be easier said that done.
“It’s like a car ad where you have all the fine print at the bottom of the screen,” he said, referring to efforts at disclosing which ads are created with AI. “Do people really read it?”
Despite the potential challenges in effectively regulating and blunting the deceptive impact of AI in campaign ads, the US Federal Election Commission is in the early stages of trying to do so.
The independent US federal agency that enforces campaign laws recently voted to approve a petition to address “deliberately deceptive Artificial Intelligence campaign ads”.
Prof Kneeland, however, said the road to regulating the ads would be a lengthy one, and any attempt to crack down could result in First Amendment litigation.
Prof Kneeland pointed to a judge's recent decision that said federal agencies had previously overstepped when they attempted to work with social media companies.
In some instances, it appears various tech giants are trying to get ahead of what will probably be a flurry of AI-generated ads.
Back in September, Google's parent company Alphabet announced it would require the disclosure of AI-generated political advertising content.
“All verified election advertisers in regions where verification is required must prominently disclose when their ads contain synthetic content that inauthentically depicts real or realistic-looking people or events,” read a post in Google’s advertising policy section.
Google also explained in greater detail examples of AI posts that would require disclosure.
“An ad with synthetic content that makes it appear as if a person is saying or doing something they didn’t say or do,” would need to be disclosed, as would an ad “with synthetic content that alters footage of a real event or generates a realistic portrayal of an event to depict scenes that did not actually take place.”
But ads using AI in an inconsequential way, such as colour correction or red-eye correction, according to the policy, would be exempt.
We contacted Facebook's parent company Meta to see if it had any plans to require disclosure of AI-generated content.
“We’re focused on transparency on AI-generated content when it has the potential to mislead people,” the social media company said in an email.
“Our ad standards, community standards, and fact-checking program apply whether content is created by AI or a person.”
Recently, Meta introduced “AI-powered features for ad creatives”, but noted that ads for social issues, elections or politics would currently be excluded.
“This is in line with our approach for testing new products, and considering additional sensitivities around AI and regulated industries,” the email from Meta read.
At least for now, it seems US federal regulators are taking a wait-and-see approach.
Claire Rajan, a partner for international law firm Allen & Overy’s Washington office, and lead for the firm’s political law group, does not expect that to change overnight, but said circumstances might overtake the status quo.
“I think that if there is a continued use of deepfakes and Congress gets frustrated or upset by this, that they may well get motivated to pass law,” she added, noting that incumbent elected officials may start to enact legislation only if they’re on the receiving end of a deepfake video.
“There is legislation pending on this topic,” she said, referring to several pieces of legislation introduced by Democratic and Republican members of congress.
Ms Rajan, who spent seven years with the US Federal Election Commission and worked to defend election laws that were challenged, said it’s not necessarily a surprise that regulators are taking a methodical approach to AI.
“It took them 60 years to regulate the railroads,” she said. “That’s our legislative process … a legislative body that does move slowly.”
Ms Rajan offered a caveat, however, as to why regulating AI might not take as long as some might expect.
“In a bipartisan way, there’s real attention and focus on it,” she said, before cautioning that the fast-paced changes already taking place with AI could pose some obstacles.
“It probably makes the most sense to bulk up existing laws. Rather than trying to regulate a particular technology, we try to regulate conduct,” she added.
The US is not alone as it deals with AI-generated ads and deepfakes seeping over into political campaigns.
In Slovakia, AFP and Wired reported that an AI-generated audio recording posted to Facebook 48 hours before general elections may have contributed to the defeat of the country's liberal party.
In the UK, an AI-generated deepfake audio recording of Labour Party leader Keir Starmer supposedly being abusive to staffers was heard millions of times and replicated on several social media platforms even after it was debunked.
For Prof Kneeland, the results of AI being used in such ways could expand beyond politics.
“Aside from political consequences, I think there might be social consequences and it could further erode civility and constructive communication,” he said.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Hamilton profile
Age 32
Country United Kingdom
Grands Prix entered 198
Pole positions 67
Wins 57
Podiums 110
Points 2,423
World Championships 3
The%20Iron%20Claw
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Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
NEW%20UTILITY%20POLICY%3A%20WHAT%20DOES%20IT%20REGULATE%3F
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Agreements%20on%20energy%20and%20water%20supply%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Applied%20service%20fees%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customer%20data%20and%20information%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Prohibition%20of%20service%20disconnections%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customer%20complaint%20process%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Management%20of%20debts%20and%20customers%20in%20default%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Services%20provided%20to%20people%20of%20determination%20and%20home%20care%20customers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
South Africa World Cup squad
South Africa: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (w), JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Rassie van der Dussen.
Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
FORSPOKEN
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Diablo%20IV
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The%20Legend%20of%20Zelda%3A%20Tears%20of%20The%20Kingdom
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Assassin's%20Creed%20Mirage
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Starfield
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
- Brentford v Arsenal
- Burnley v Brighton
- Chelsea v Crystal Palace
- Everton v Southampton
- Leicester City v Wolves
- Manchester United v Leeds United
- Newcastle United v West Ham United
- Norwich City v Liverpool
- Tottenham v Manchester City
- Watford v Aston Villa
Draw:
Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi
Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania
Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia
Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola
Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau
How they line up for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2 Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
3 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
4 Max Verstappen, Red Bull
5 Kevin Magnussen, Haas
6 Romain Grosjean, Haas
7 Nico Hulkenberg, Renault
*8 Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull
9 Carlos Sainz, Renault
10 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
11 Fernando Alonso, McLaren
12 Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren
13 Sergio Perez, Force India
14 Lance Stroll, Williams
15 Esteban Ocon, Force India
16 Brendon Hartley, Toro Rosso
17 Marcus Ericsson, Sauber
18 Charles Leclerc, Sauber
19 Sergey Sirotkin, Williams
20 Pierre Gasly, Toro Rosso
* Daniel Ricciardo qualified fifth but had a three-place grid penalty for speeding in red flag conditions during practice
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
