Google Enforces Mandatory AI Disclosure for Election Advertisers

Google, under Alphabet Inc., has announced a new requirement for all election advertisers, starting from mid-November. They must include a prominent and transparent disclosure when their advertisements incorporate AI-generated content, as stated by the company on Wednesday. This policy will encompass image, video, and audio content across all of Google's platforms, as detailed in a blog post. The move comes in response to the growing concern that AI-generated deepfakes could undermine the ability of voters to discern reality from fiction, potentially muddling the lines between truth and falsehood.

A boom in the adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has given rise to opportunities for the use of AI tools to create content such as scripts for movies to even video, images and sound for advertisements.

Deepfakes created by AI algorithms threaten to blur the lines between fact and fiction, making it difficult for voters to distinguish the real from the fake.

Google-owned cybersecurity firm Mandiant said last month that it had seen increasing use of AI to conduct manipulative information campaigns online in recent years, though the technology's use in other digital intrusions had been limited so far.

Generative AI would enable groups with limited resources to produce higher quality content at scale, according to Mandiant.

Google has been under fire for misinformation on its platforms, and has been rolling out updates to its transparency measures as the United States will choose its next president in November next year.

Any synthetic content that is irrelevant to the claims made in the ad will be exempted from the disclosure requirements, the advertising and search engine giant said.