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“It was a groundbreaking Election Day simulation that placed artificial intelligence at its core,” stated Fontes, a Democrat, during an interview. He emphasized that the AI-powered fakes utilized in the exercise were deceptive enough to appear believable unless one had an in-depth knowledge of him or his staff. For instance, the fake version of Fontes provided false but inconsequential details, such as having a son who plays ice hockey.
This event in Arizona highlights the growing concern among election experts and public officials regarding the rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence. Criminals, conspiracy theorists, and even adversaries of the United States are already exploiting this technology for various scams. The anxiety is particularly heightened in battleground states like Arizona, where Joe Biden narrowly won by a margin of just 10,000 votes four years ago.
Cait Conley, a senior adviser to the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and a prominent election official, commended Arizona’s exercise as one of the most effective ways to ensure states are adequately prepared for Election Day.
However, Conley also acknowledged the challenges posed by the fast-evolving technology. She expressed her concern that generative AI is likely to exacerbate the existing risks faced by election officials, especially as the 2024 elections approach.
Fontes explained that AI is particularly troubling because it enables bad actors to exploit the very context clues people rely on to verify information from trusted sources. These deceptive tactics include mimicking the sound of a recognizable official’s voice, making it increasingly difficult for individuals to distinguish between genuine and fabricated content.
“It’s essentially a faster, wider, and deeper dissemination of disinformation,” Fontes argued.
In March, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a warning about fraudsters employing AI voice clones to deceive Americans. Moreover, AI-generated images of the Pentagon in flames briefly caused a stock market dip in May. Additionally, Chinese actors used AI-generated images in September to spread the false claim that American intelligence agencies were responsible for the Maui wildfires.
The mounting concerns surrounding AI and disinformation have led to a renewed push on Capitol Hill for safeguards to be implemented before the 2024 elections.
During a Senate hearing in September, Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) urged lawmakers to pass bipartisan legislation she spearheaded to protect political candidates from targeted deep fakes, emphasizing that the technology is already powerful enough to deceive voters.
“Given the stakes for our democracy, we cannot afford to wait,” she stated during the hearing.
Currently, state and local officials in battleground states like Arizona are taking proactive measures to address the issue themselves.
The Arizona exercise incorporated AI-generated videos of Fontes and another official, along with audio recordings of security staff in his office.
Fontes did not recall the specific software used by the state to create the voice fakes. However, he mentioned that the video of him was based on publicly available information, while the video of the security expert was produced using specialized recording equipment. Due to concerns that malicious actors could replicate them, Fontes chose not to provide further details about the fraudulent audio and video utilized during the exercise.
One of the main takeaways from Arizona’s two-day exercise, Fontes noted, is that AI does not present an entirely new threat to the electoral process. However, he believes it has the potential to amplify existing threats, such as misinformation, disinformation, and misleading information.
“AI is essentially a new version of the same old threats,” Fontes explained. “The difference now is that it is much easier to generate and disseminate.”
Fontes revealed that Arizona plans to organize two more simulations before the 2024 elections. Additionally, Michigan, another swing state, intends to conduct a similar election exercise utilizing AI in the spring, as previously disclosed by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in an interview with POLITICO.
CISA’s Conley also expressed that the agency will assist interested states in conducting cost-free exercises in the upcoming months. She also welcomed the opportunity to extend similar opportunities to states beyond Arizona and Michigan.
Initiatives like these could prove crucial in staying one step ahead of AI. However, Fontes emphasized the responsibility of humans not to exaggerate inevitable Election Day challenges.
“We have had enough of the conspiracy theories, enough of the myths, and enough of the storytelling nonsense from election deniers,” he asserted.,
In recent news, it has come to light that Arizona has taken an intriguing approach to election preparedness. The state has reportedly created its own deep-fake election hoaxes as a means of testing and fortifying its election security measures ahead of the 2024 elections.
Deep-fake technology, which uses artificial intelligence to manipulate audio and video content, has become a growing concern for election integrity worldwide. By simulating various scenarios where deep-fakes could potentially be used to spread disinformation or manipulate election outcomes, Arizona aims to identify vulnerabilities and develop effective countermeasures.
This forward-thinking initiative demonstrates Arizona’s commitment to proactively safeguarding the electoral process against emerging threats. By gaining an understanding of how deep-fake technology can be weaponized, the state hopes to stay one step ahead of those who might seek to undermine the democratic process.
While some may question the ethics of creating hoaxes, Arizona’s approach underscores the necessity of staying ahead of technological advancements that could jeopardize fair and transparent elections. By taking proactive measures now, Arizona aims to ensure the integrity of future elections and maintain public trust in the democratic process.
