WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI is concerned that foreign adversaries could deploy artificial intelligence as a means to interfere in U.S. elections and spread disinformation, a senior official said Thursday, He said the technology is “probably an area of future growth.” For years. ”
The threat is more than theoretical Considering the prevalence of AI deepfakes and robocalls And how such technology is already surfacing in the political world.
The official said that in Slovakia earlier this year, an audio clip resembling the Liberal Party leader's voice – purportedly showing him talking about beer price hikes and voting fraud – was released days before parliamentary elections. He mentioned an episode that was widely shared on social media. The clip was a deepfake.
In an incident in the United States, a robocall impersonating President Joe Biden urged voters in New Hampshire to abstain from voting in the January primary.Then came the robocall. I found a political consultant He said he was trying to promote the dangers of AI deepfakes.
AI technology poses a challenge for law enforcement, as it not only lowers the barrier to entry for those looking to do mischief, but also increases the arsenal of more sophisticated foreign governments wishing to interfere in elections, one of the people said. said one official. Several FBI officials spoke to reporters on the topic of election security on condition of anonymity in accordance with the FBI's basic rules.
The three countries the FBI is most concerned about this election year are Russia, Iran, and China. Officials have long argued that each country has different motivations and ambitions for what it hopes to accomplish by influencing U.S. elections.
In the case of Russia, In 2016 and 2020, intelligence officials said the Russian government clearly favored Republican Donald Trump. And he took steps to get him elected, including a sophisticated hacking and leaking operation of Democratic Party emails before he was elected eight years ago.
a Recent Intelligence Community Reports assessed that Russia sought to undermine U.S. support for Ukraine and smear the Democratic Party in the 2022 midterm elections with the aim of undermining confidence in the elections.
The report says China has attempted to influence a small number of elections involving candidates from both major political parties, focused on candidates with anti-China views, and secretly smeared a U.S. senator. . He said Iran conducted a covert operation aimed at exploiting perceived social divisions.
FBI officials said China is likely to continue its efforts to sow division in 2024, and the agency is watching closely to see whether the Ukraine war motivates Russian action.
