The First AI Elections

Almost anyone with a computer can figure out how to make a deepfake photo, video or audio. With a contentious and vitally important election around the corner in the United States, what can we do to prepare for convincing misinformation aimed at voters? Experts around the country and the world have been preparing for this issue, and many have already gone through their own recent elections. At the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival, public and private sector officials met for a discussion on how to inoculate voters against bogus content and combat bad actors intent on disrupting democratic processes. Audrey Tang is Taiwan’s first Digital Minister, and led a successful effort to safeguard the country’s January elections. Michigan’s Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, has been through the past two election cycles and received national recognition for her special attention to tech interference. And Ginny Badanes manages Microsoft’s Democracy Forward program, focused on addressing global challenges to democracy. The Vice President and Executive Director of Aspen Digital, Vivian Schiller, moderates the conversation.