AI in election campaigns: Argentinian presidential candidates give it a first run

Argentina’s final surviving presidential candidates, Sergio Massa and Javier Milei, have embraced AI technology to help shape their campaigns ahead of the final runoff election this week. The videos and images are mostly quick to spot thanks to low quality graphics, or ‘AI generated’ labels that are included by the respective teams themselves, and shouldn’t “deceive even the most credulous voters,” writes the New York Times. However, social media companies such as Meta have announced that it would require political ads to disclose whether AI technology was used. In the case of Meta, it isn’t requiring the same for unpaid posts, even if they are related to politics. The US Federal Election Commission is reportedly also considering whether to regulate AI in political ads.

ISD’s Head of Technology and Society, Isabelle Frances-Wright, spoke with the NYT about the complications around the extensive use of AI in Argentina’s elections.

“I absolutely think it’s a slippery slope,” she said. “In a year from now, what already seems very realistic will only seem more so.”

The full article is available on the NYT website.