The fight against disinformation, particularly through content generated by artificial intelligence (AI), is of “vital interest” to the security of the United States and a diplomatic priority, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday in Seoul.
Mr. Blinken was speaking in South Korea at the third Democracy Summit, an initiative by US President Joe Biden, which brings together government representatives, NGOs and members of civil society.
Digital technologies, through social networks and artificial intelligence, “significantly accelerate the speed and spread of disinformation,” noted the head of American diplomacy, describing the efforts deployed by Washington to combat this problem .
“Building a more resilient information environment represents a vital U.S. national security interest and a high priority of our diplomacy,” he said.
The State Department thus published on Monday a “democratic road map” of recommendations to help the public become more aware of and better resist the manipulation of information, he stressed.
This includes “encouraging social media platforms to label AI-generated content, so users know when an image is real or not,” he added.
Mr. Blinken also outlined initiatives to support the media industry, including combatting “the misuse of commercial spyware to monitor and harass journalists, human rights defenders and others people” with “sanctions, export controls and visa restrictions to remind governments and businesses of their responsibilities”.
Sites spreading disinformation typically relied on armies of editors, but artificial intelligence tools now offer a cheap alternative to crafting content that is often difficult to distinguish from authentic information.
Hundreds of AI-powered sites mimicking popular media outlets have sprung up in recent months, fueling a growing flood of misinformation on everything from war to politicians, fueling concerns this year. rich in elections around the world.
Experts believe that AI-generated disinformation could have a major impact on the 2024 US elections, and in many other countries, including South Korea where legislative elections will be held in April.
