Gov't considers bipartisan talks on responsible AI use in political campaigning

By Kimone Witter    

 

The Andrew Holness led administration says it will explore bipartisan discussions to establish consensus for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in political campaigning.

 

The government has also expressed its commitment to the development and adoption of responsible AI practices.

 

There have been discussions regarding the effect of artificial intelligence and deep fake technologies on the integrity of Jamaica's democratic process.

 

A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister said the emergence of AI-generated content, particularly deep fakes, has been recognised as a significant threat that could undermine the democratic process, especially as the country approaches crucial electoral milestones.

 

It said the government is actively taking steps to formulate a comprehensive response to this emerging threat.

 

A national AI task force was established in July last year, comprising experts and stakeholders from private sector, academia, civil society, and the public sector.

 

Minister with responsibility for Skills and Digital Transformation in the Office of the Prime Minister Senator Dr. Dana Morris Dixon, said the task force is considering the beneficial applications of AI, ensuring that the government's approach balances innovation with the protection of democratic values and economic and social development goals.

 

Senator Morris Dixon said the work of the task force will be used to inform a holistic national AI strategy and policy.

 

In June last year, Dr. Christopher Tufton, in his capacity as deputy chairman of the Jamaica Labour Party's Area Council Two, accused the People's National Party of using artificial intelligence as part of a political agenda to take down Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

 

Dr. Tufton also called for the nation to be prepared for an onslaught of propaganda made easier by the radical growth in technology.

 

PNP President Mark Golding dismissed the comments as utter nonsense. 

 

In the meantime, Cybersecurity consultant Christopher Reckord has said the issue of AI generated content during political campaigning is an ever present danger and is urging public awareness.

 

Mr. Reckord said vigilance before publishing and sharing of content is critical.

 

"If this thing that is being said seems too good to be true then someone needs to check out the facts. Did this event actually happen? Did this person actually say this? We also need to check the source of where the content is coming from."

 

Meanwhile, tech expert Trevor Forrest said lawmakers will face a major challenge in convincing people to verify an image or audio/visual content when many believe in the Jamaican adage that "if it nuh guh suh, it near guh suh". 

 

"What we need to do and what law makers need to do is to now start looking at laws and regulations and policies to ensure that people and the consumers of this information are protected and require that people who are using artificial intelligence for non-nefarious activities inform people that, 'Listen, what you're interfacing with is generated by artificial intelligence' and so on, so that at least there are some rules around the use of this technology," he suggested. 

 

Mr. Forrest and Mr. Reckord were guests Tuesday on the Morning Agenda on Power 106.