By Didi Rankovic – Reclaim The Net
Anybody who’s spent time in New York City (and even broader, the state) is likely to tell you – New Yorkers are empowered, alright. By their very nature.
Direct and opinionated – do they really need the government to “empower” them some more? And to do what – snitch on fellow citizens?
But that’s the gist of what New York Attorney General Letitia James is now proposing, all buzzing with buzzwords like “election misinformation” (“AI generated,” mind), and just in general, what somebody might decide to consider “misleading” online content.
“The OAG (Office of Attorney-General) will operate an Election Protection Hotline, which voters can contact to ask questions and file complaints during the voting period” – said a press release.
And while at it, waste no time. Report your fellow New Yorker now. James has announced a guide, including on how to report “AI misinformation” ahead of the presidential elections.
The “unwashed masses” might also need to be told how to actually go out of their way to “identify” that content. It’s all in the guide.
Let’s flag content pretty much arbitrarily – that’s the point NY AG James is essentially making.
The whole concept of artificial intelligence (AI) is proving – or so some think – so useful to a certain political grouping in the US, but not only. Yet it is never properly explained – and therefore understood – to people who are not directly involved in “AI” development and implementation, so it leaves a lot of room for scaremongering.
What Machine Learning (ML, a small subset of AI) is currently doing is creating more or less useful “chats” – and a lot of memes. People used to photo editing an image to create a satirical meme may now tell an “AI” generator to – just generate it.
Big difference. Still funny and obviously exaggerated satirical content.
Except now the “AI scare” narrative has been so normalized – or so James and her political comrades hope – that she can issue a “guide” like this:
“Artificial intelligence tools can be used to create fake or misleading videos, images, or audio that impersonate people or candidates and spread misinformation to try to impact voters.”
Like, say, memes. “Showing” Kamala Harris addressing a Chinese communist rally in Chicago.
Well if you believe that – but still can’t afford to buy a bridge – James has a guide ready.
“The guide my office created will be a useful resource to help voters better identify AI-generated misinformation, and to empower them to arrive at the polls with accurate information about the elections and the candidate they wish to support. I urge New Yorkers to be more careful about the sources they use and the information they consume about the elections.”
“Consume” – there’s another point of the message. Consume information – rather than think about it critically.