{"id":2047856,"date":"2023-09-28T11:34:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-28T15:34:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-hearing-explores-risks-of-ai-to-american-democracy\/"},"modified":"2023-09-28T11:39:34","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T15:39:34","slug":"senate-hearing-explores-risks-of-ai-to-american-democracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-hearing-explores-risks-of-ai-to-american-democracy\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate hearing examines AI&#8217;s threat to US democracy."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsenate-hearing-explores-risks-of-ai-to-american-democracy%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2047856&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>The Future\u2063 of \u200bAmerica&#8217;s Electoral System: AI and\u200b Elections<\/h2>\n<p>The Senate Committee on\u200c Rules and \u200dAdministration held a captivating \u2062hearing on\u2063 Wednesday \u2064to explore the potential impact of artificial\u2064 intelligence (AI)\u200d on\u2062 the future of \u2062America&#8217;s\u200b electoral system.<\/p>\n<p>Testifying \u2063at the hearing \u2062&#8221;AI and the \u2064Future\u200b of Our\u200b Elections&#8221; were\u2064 a distinguished panel\u2063 of experts including Ari Cohn, the Free Speech counsel at Tech Freedom; \u2064Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon; Trevor Potter, the former commissioner and\u200d chairman of the Federal \u200dElection Commission \u200cand founder\u200d and president of Campaign Legal Center;\u200b and Maya Wiley, the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Wiley, renowned for her previous role as counsel \u2062to former \u200dNew\u200d York Mayor Bill de Blasio, raised\u200d a concerning point that\u200c AI could be exploited by foreign governments to interfere in \u2064elections by targeting\u200c specific communities.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/epochtv\/senate-rules-committee-hearing-on-ai-and-the-future-of-our-elections-5498690?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Senate Rules Committee\u200b Hearing on\u2063 \u2018AI And \u2063The Future of Our \u200dElections\u2019<\/strong><\/a>  &#8211; 9\/27\/2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/world\/ottawa-rolls-out-voluntary-code-of-conduct-for-ai-as-fear-persists-over-its-use-5499665?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Ottawa Rolls out Voluntary Code of Conduct for AI as &#8216;Fear&#8217; Persists Over\u200c Its Use<\/strong><\/a>  &#8211; 9\/27\/2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Congress must use its oversight powers and require the platforms to provide more data and\u2064 solutions on voting\/election disinformation and AI,&#8221; emphasized Ms. Wiley.\u2063 &#8220;Disinformation, sometimes driven intentionally \u2063by foreign governments in our election cycles, often \u2064targets black \u200dand Latino \u2064communities\u200d and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/inflation-era-ukraine-crisis-poses-significant-dangers-to-eurozone-ecb-head\/\" title=\"Inflation Era: Ukraine Crisis Poses \u2018Significant\u2019 Dangers to Eurozone - ECB Head\">poses significant risks<\/a> to our society.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Simon, a Democrat who played a key role in granting \u2064voting \u2064rights to convicted felons in Minnesota, echoed the \u2062concerns about AI&#8217;s potential to amplify threats.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Artificial intelligence is not a threat\u200d to \u200cAmerican democracy\u2064 in and\u2064 of \u200bitself, but it is an emerging and powerful amplifier of \u2064existing threats,&#8221; warned Mr. Simon. &#8220;As the\u2063 2024 presidential contest \u200capproaches, all of\u2063 us involved\u2063 in the election process must be\u2062 vigilant and \u2064proactive.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>These apprehensions were shared by \u200cMr. Potter, who argued that AI \u2062could\u2063 heighten the risk of disinformation and other\u2062 forms of political deception.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The concerns raised \u2063by this technology are real and\u200d growing, \u200cand\u200d I strongly urge this committee to \u2063approach these challenges without regard\u2063 for partisanship or political gain. If left unregulated, AI will\u200b increase the risk of misinformation, deceptive \u200dadvertisements, and distrust for candidates and voters on both sides of the aisle,&#8221; cautioned Mr. Potter.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Cohn, representing \u200bthe \u200bnonprofit organization\u2062 Tech\u2064 Freedom, which opposes\u2062 censorship\u2062 and regulation of\u200c the \u2064tech industry, cautioned against excessive regulations that could undermine\u2063 the democratic \u2064process.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Concern for our democratic processes and institutions \u200bis well-placed. \u200cBut reflexive legislation prompted by fear of the next technological boogeyman will \u2064not safeguard our democratic values,&#8221;\u2063 explained Cohn. &#8220;Instead,\u2064 intrusions on the free and unfettered political discourse that has been the lifeblood\u200c of our democracy will ultimately subvert it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Conversely, resisting the urge to legislate speculative problems out\u2063 of existence before they\u2063 arise will strengthen our resiliency,\u200b safeguard\u2062 our \u200cfundamental liberties, and allow innovation\u2063 to flourish and take us to new heights,&#8221; he\u200c continued.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">In \u2064May this year,\u2063 The Epoch Times <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/analysis-how-artificial-intelligence-could-impact-the-2024-election-5256525\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">detailed<\/a> how AI-based systems could play an important role in future political\u2062 campaigns. Some \u200bof its roles\u200c may <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-hearing-explores-risks-of-ai-to-american-democracy\/\" title=\"Senate hearing examines AI's threat to US democracy.\">include helping\u2063 craft political messaging<\/a>, manipulating voter data, generating deepfakes for deceptive purposes, and even scaling\u2062 up \u2062bot \u200ccampaigns \u200dacross social media.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What measures can be taken to\u2063 increase transparency and regulation of AI algorithms \u2064used in the electoral process, in order to\u2062 prevent manipulation and\u2062 favoritism?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Xt approaches, we \u2063must be vigilant in ensuring that \u200bAI is used responsibly and transparently to protect our democratic processes.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>One area of \u2063concern raised by the panel was the potential for AI to\u2064 exacerbate the problem of voter suppression. Trevor Potter, a respected expert in election law, highlighted the danger of using \u2063AI algorithms to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wisconsin-voters-sue-democrat-cities-over-illegal-drop-boxes-in-2020-election\/\" title=\"Wisconsin Voters Sue Democrat Cities Over Illegal Drop Boxes In 2020 Election\">target specific populations<\/a> \u2063with misleading information \u200dand disinformation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We have\u2063 already seen the impact of targeted\u2064 disinformation campaigns on social media in recent elections,&#8221; said Potter. &#8220;AI has the potential to amplify these\u200c efforts, making it even more difficult for voters to\u200c discern fact from\u2062 fiction and undermining the trust in our electoral system.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>To address these concerns, the panelists suggested a number of measures that\u2062 could be\u200c taken to safeguard the integrity\u200c of our elections. One \u2063such measure \u2062is \u2063increased transparency and regulation of AI algorithms used in the electoral process. \u200dBy requiring tech companies to disclose the algorithms they use and subjecting\u200d them to independent audits, we can\u200c ensure\u2064 that they \u2064are not being manipulated to favor certain candidates or\u2063 suppress certain voters.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the panel stressed the importance of investing in AI technology that can detect and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/menendez-indictment-egyptian-national-pleads-not-guilty-to-bribery-charges\/\" title=\"Egyptian national denies bribery charges in Menendez indictment.\">prevent foreign interference<\/a>. By\u200d developing sophisticated AI tools that can identify and neutralize disinformation campaigns, we can better protect our elections from outside influence.<\/p>\n<p>The panel also emphasized\u2062 the role of education and \u200cawareness in combating the threats posed by \u2063AI. They called for increased \u200bpublic \u2062understanding of AI and its potential risks,\u2062 as well as efforts to promote media literacy and\u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/remember-we-are-the-majority-here-are-ideas-on-what-we-can-do-moving-forward\/\" title=\"Remember We Are the Majority \u2013 Here Are Idea\u2019s On What We Can Do Moving Forward\">critical thinking skills<\/a>. By arming voters with the knowledge and tools to discern\u200b truth from falsehood, we can reduce the \u200bimpact of disinformation campaigns.<\/p>\n<p>As\u200d the hearing\u2063 concluded, it was\u2063 clear that AI has\u2062 the potential to significantly impact America&#8217;s electoral system. While it offers opportunities for increased efficiency and \u200caccuracy, it also poses risks to the integrity of our elections. It is crucial for policymakers, tech companies, and the public to collaborate in implementing safeguards and \u200bregulations that ensure AI is used responsibly and ethically in our democratic processes.<\/p>\n<p>By addressing the concerns \u2064raised by the panelists \u2062and\u2064 taking proactive measures to safeguard our elections,\u200c we can\u2063 harness the potential of\u200d AI to \u2062strengthen our democracy while protecting \u200bit from manipulation and interference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration conducted a hearing on the influence of AI on America&#8217;s electoral system. Testimonies were given by Ari Cohn from Tech Freedom, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, and Trevor Potter. The hearing was titled &#8220;AI and the Future of Our Elections.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2379,"featured_media":2047858,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2047856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2047856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2379"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2047856"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2047856\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2047858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2047856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2047856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2047856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}