Will AI images influence elections?

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HOW AI CAN HELP PRESERVE THE AMAZON RAINFOREST 🌲

Did you know that tropical rainforests cover less than 3% of the planet, yet they are home to more than half our planet's terrestrial animal species? 😳

What’s happening? Colombian researchers are leading a silent revolution in the battle against deforestation in the Amazon.

What’s the problem? In 2022, the Amazon witnessed the loss of nearly 5 million acres to deforestation, marking a 21% surge from the previous year. This alarming trend is primarily driven by land clearance for agricultural purposes, cattle ranching, and illicit mining operations. Juan Lavista Ferres, Vice President and Chief Data Scientist at Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab, said, “If you think about one of the areas in the world that we need to save, it’s the Amazon.”

How does it work? Ferres aptly notes, "You can't solve a problem if you can't measure it." This is the idea behind a camera technology that is trained via machine learning to detect animals. Anytime the cameras see movement, they take a picture. A single camera can take up to 300,000 photos. This data can then be compiled and used to measure animal activity and life in the Amazon in ways a human could never compile.

GOOGLE WILL REQUIRE DEEPFAKE DISCLOSURE IN CAMPAIGN ADS 🙅‍♂️

Q: Why couldn’t the snake use Google?

A: It ate the mouse. 🐍

What’s new? Google has announced that it will require verified election advertisers to "prominently disclose" when their campaign ads "in-authentically depict" people or events, including the use of AI-generated deepfakes.

Why? The rise of AI has heightened concerns about the potential for altered content to deceive the public, with generative AI models making it easier to create convincing fake videos and images (also known as “deepfakes”). This new disclosure policy, set to take effect in mid-November, comes a year ahead of the anticipated 2024 US presidential and congressional elections, with hopes to limit voter opinion based on AI manipulation. Examples provided by Google of ads necessitating disclosure include those that make it seem as though a person is saying or doing something they never did, and those that manipulate footage to depict events or speech that never occurred.

CALIFORNIA GIVES LIP SERVICE TO AI LEADERSHIP 🗣️

How would you rank In-N-Out Burger’s fries on a scale of 1-10? If you don’t answer 10, you aren’t a true Californian. 🍟

What’s new? California Governor, Gavin Newsom, has issued an executive order directing state agencies to develop comprehensive guidelines for the increased use of generative AI technology.

What’s the order? The executive order commands state agencies to produce risk assessment reports evaluating how AI could impact their operations, the state's economy, and energy consumption. Furthermore, it mandates the establishment of ethical guidelines for the acquisition and deployment of AI tools by the state. Newsom’s directive also encourages legislators to formulate novel policies and regulations addressing AI technology. It is worth noting that the order does not specify any new budget allocations or regulatory frameworks.

What does this actually mean? Through this move, California is attempting to set themselves up as a trailblazer for AI governance. The problem, however, is this move seems to be another case of all talk and no answers, which is what the public has gotten from governmental authorities in the US so far.

FRY-AI FANATIC OF THE WEEK 🍟

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