Microsoft and OpenAI collaborate to launch a $2M fund aimed at combating election-related deepfakes

Microsoft and OpenAI have joined forces to establish a $2 million fund aimed at combatting the escalating threats posed by AI and deepfakes, particularly concerning their potential to deceive voters and undermine democratic processes.

With a record 2 billion individuals expected to participate in elections across approximately 50 countries this year, there is growing apprehension regarding the influence of AI on voters, particularly those in vulnerable communities who may be more susceptible to misinformation.

The proliferation of generative AI technologies, including widely used chatbots like ChatGPT, has contributed to a significant new threat landscape characterized by AI-generated deepfakes intended to propagate disinformation. These tools are readily accessible and empower individuals to fabricate fake videos, images, or audio recordings featuring prominent political figures.

The Election Commission of India recently issued a plea to political parties, urging them to refrain from employing deepfakes and similar disinformation tactics in their online campaign efforts surrounding the elections.

Against this backdrop, major technology companies, including Microsoft and OpenAI, have committed to voluntary pledges to mitigate these risks and are collaborating to develop a unified framework to address deepfakes specifically engineered to mislead voters.

Additionally, several leading AI companies have taken steps to address these risks by implementing restrictions within their software. For instance, Google has announced that its Gemini AI chatbot will not respond to queries related to elections, while Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is implementing limitations on election-related responses through its AI chatbot.