Internet
UN High Commissioner concerned about artificial intelligence
UN High Commissioner Volker Türk warns of the risks of propaganda and disinformation through AI applications in upcoming elections. He also addresses politics directly.
Next year, elections are likely to take place in more than 70 countries where more than half of the world’s population lives, Türk said at a press conference in Geneva. They are among the first to take place in the age of AI applications for the masses. This poses new risks for a new type of propaganda and disinformation. Governments and technology companies must be able to respond to dangerous online content.
He called on governments to respect the human right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly during the election campaign. Election campaigns are fertile ground for extremism and the fomenting of fear, often with hate speech against opponents. “I call on politicians and other leading figures not to stir up fears against ‘the others’, not to cause divisions and not to exploit differences to win votes.”