Experts say that artificial intelligence (AI) will have a profound impact on politics in the future. Some of the ways in which AI is likely to impact politics include:
- Personalized campaigning: AI can be used to personalize political campaigns by targeting voters with messages that are tailored to their individual interests and concerns.
- Data analysis: AI is being used to analyze large amounts of voter data. This data can be used to identify patterns and trends, which can help politicians make better decisions about policy.
- Online voting: AI could be used to create secure and efficient online voting systems. This would make it easier for people to vote, and it could also help to increase voter turnout.
- Crowdsourcing ideas: AI could be used to crowdsource ideas from the public. This could help politicians to get input from a wider range of people, and it could also help to make the political process more transparent.
- AI-powered political campaigns: AI could be used to target voters with personalized messages, micro-targeting, and other forms of digital advertising.
- AI-powered surveillance: AI could be used to track and monitor citizens’ activities, which could raise concerns about privacy and civil liberties.
- AI-powered disinformation: AI could be used to create and spread disinformation, which could undermine democracy.
- Surveillance: AI could be used by governments to increase surveillance of their citizens. This could lead to a loss of privacy and could be used to suppress dissent.
- Disinformation and manipulation: AI could be used to spread disinformation and manipulate public opinion. This could undermine democracy and could lead to the election of unqualified or dangerous leaders.
Here are some specific examples of how AI is already being used in politics:
- The Obama campaign used AI to target voters with personalized messages. The campaign used data from social media and other sources to identify voters who were likely to support Obama and then target them with messages that were tailored to their interests.
- The Chinese government is using AI to track and monitor citizens’ activities. The government is using AI to collect data on citizens’ online activity, travel patterns, and even facial expressions. This data is then used to identify potential threats to the government.
- The Russian government is using AI to spread disinformation. The government is using AI to create and spread fake news stories and social media posts that are designed to sow discord and undermine democracy.
The future impact of AI on politics is still uncertain. However, it is clear that AI has the potential to both improve and harm our political system. It is important to be aware of the potential risks and benefits of AI in politics, and to work together to ensure that AI is used for good and not for harm.
Up to this point, every single word in this American Radio Journal commentary was created by Artificial Intelligence. The AI tool I used here is the one developed by Google known as Bard. I posed just one question in these exact words: “what do experts say about the future impact of artificial intelligence on politics?” Everything else was created by Bard. It produced a couple of different drafts, and I edited them together by cutting and pasting, but not by adding a single word.
Although the resulting article is anodyne in tone, it’s still scary in scope. When you look at the many misuses of social media, such as bombarding targeted persons with bullying messages that have even driven some to suicide, think about how easy it would be to create similar misuses of AI in politics, but on an automated, and much more massive scale. Then think about what we should do to counter this very real threat. How can it be reined in so that it doesn’t facilitate widespread false narratives that in turn can affect votes and turn elections? Think about it, and keep your eyes out for opportunities to attend town hall forums with your local elected officials.