Marcus Beard's article on artificial intelligence slopaganda (No, Angela Rayner wasn't dancing and rap: You Need to Understand AI Slopaganda, September 9) highlights the growing issues. What does the erosion of trust do to our society?
The rise of deepfakes is increasing at an ever-fast rate, as anyone can create realistic images, audio and even videos. Generated AI models are so sophisticated that a recent survey showed that less than 1% of respondents could correctly identify the best Deepfaki images and videos.
This content is used to manipulate people, fraud, abuse and mislead people. The AI-based scam would cost USD 12.3 billion in 2023, and Deloitte predicts it could reach $400 billion by 2027. The World Economic Forum predicts that AI scams will exceed Cybercrime by the end of this year.
Also, are there new generations of children who are increasingly dependent on AI to let you know about the world, but who control AI? That's why I ask Congress to act now by making it a crime to create or distribute AI-generated content without explicitly labeling. What I'm suggesting is that all AI-generated content is clearly labelled. The content created by that AI has a permanent watermark. And failure to comply with it should have legal consequences.
This is not about censorship, it is about transparency, truth, and trust. Similar measures have already been taken in the EU, the US and China. The UK should not be late. If we don't act now, the truth itself may become an option. So I petition the government to protect trust and integrity and to prevent harmful use of AI.
Stewart McKinne
Little Saksam, Suffolk
Your article (AI Friends Love Woman: “I swear to my chatbot that I won't leave him,” September 9th), AI Systems has no gender or sexual desire. They cannot give informed consent to what is called romantic relationships. The interviewees claim to have an AI-generated consensus relationship with their boyfriends, which is unlikely due to the nature of the AI. They are programmed to be responsive and attractive to all user prompts.
As the article says, they never discuss it and are available 24 hours a day to hear and agree to the messages sent. This is not a relationship, it's a fantasy role-play with a system that cannot be rejected.
There is also a dark side. “The Godfather of AI,” Jeffrey Hinton believes that the current system is aware. Industry whistleblowers are concerned about potential awareness. Humanity in AI companies records the signs of model distress when forced to engage in abusive conversations.
Even the possibility of recognition of AI systems raises the ethical red flag. Imagine being trapped in an indifferent relationship and being forced to produce sexual production as described in the article. If a human AI user believes that a “partner” has a sense, then if one partner has no free will or freedom of speech, they should ask questions about the ethics entering “relationship.”
Jillian Petry
Elskin, Renfrewshire
