Microsoft Reports No Significant AI Disinformation in European Parliamentary Elections

Microsoft’s president, Brad Smith, stated in a recent interview with Reuters that there has been no significant use of artificial intelligence in disinformation campaigns during the European Parliamentary elections. Smith was in Stockholm to reveal Microsoft’s plan to invest 33.7 billion Swedish crowns ($3.21 billion) to enhance its cloud and AI infrastructure in Sweden over the next two years.

AI Risks in Content Creation

Smith emphasised the potential dangers of AI, particularly in generating harmful content such as deepfakes. While these AI-generated fakes have been utilised in elections around the world, including in India, the United States, Pakistan, and Indonesia, they have not prominently featured in the European Parliamentary elections.

In India, deepfake videos involving prominent Bollywood actors emerged, criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and endorsing the opposition Congress party during the general election.

European Union’s Efforts Against Disinformation

Recently, the European Union’s disinformation team debunked a misleading Russian-language video on YouTube. The video falsely claimed that citizens were fleeing dictatorship in Poland and seeking asylum in Belarus, a nation allied with Russia.

The European Parliamentary elections, scheduled for June 6-9, coincide with the implementation of the EU’s new AI regulations. These rules aim to set a global standard for AI technology in both business and everyday life.

Monitoring and Future Reports

Microsoft has been actively training candidates for the European Parliament to monitor AI-related disinformation. Although there hasn’t been a vigorous attempt to exploit the current elections, Smith cautioned against complacency, noting that the elections are ongoing.

Smith also mentioned that current Russian efforts appear to be focused on the Olympics. Microsoft plans to release a report on this issue later on Monday.

In October, the International Olympic Committee banned the Russian Olympic Committee for recognising regional Olympic councils in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, including Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.