Researchers warn of AI swarms as a new threat to democracy
Keystone-SDA
Thousands of AI-controlled online personas that infiltrate social networks and influence people’s opinions – an international research team is warning of malicious “AI swarms” that could jeopardise democratic processes.
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The warning from over 20 experts, including Frank Schweitzer from the federal technology institute ETH Zurich, was published in the journal Science.
AI swarms are networks of many autonomous, AI-controlled online personas that generate coordinated content in order to influence opinions and dynamics in digital communities. Unlike simple bots, these AI swarms learn from reactions and mimic human communication. This makes it very difficult to recognise them.
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Targeted influencing of votes is also possible in Switzerland in principle, said Schweitzer when asked by the Swiss News Agency Keystone-SDA. A high voter turnout and diverse media use could counteract this, he said.
Adapted from German by AI/ts
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