The agreement is voluntary and doesn’t go as far as a complete ban on AI content in elections.
Twenty tech companies developing artificial intelligence (AI) on Friday, Feb. 16, announced their commitment to prevent their software from influencing elections, including those in the United States.
The agreement acknowledges that the companies’ products pose a significant risk, especially in a year when around 4 billion people worldwide are expected to participate in elections. The document highlights concerns about deceptive AI election content and its potential to mislead the public, posing a threat to the integrity of electoral processes.
The agreement also acknowledges that global lawmakers have been slow to respond to the rapid progress in generative AI, leading the tech industry to explore self-regulation. Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft, supported this in a statement:
