Switzerland Today
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Some political parties are concerned about the use of artificial intelligence during the upcoming general election campaign. Could AI be used to manipulate misleading images about candidates? Some parties want controls, while others disagree. It is an election after all.
More on that later, but first the news of the day.
In the news: Google cuts jobs, property price fears and Lonza’s deal with Moderna.
- The media is reporting that technology giant Google is set to cut around 50 jobs in Zurich as part of a global redundancy drive by parent company Alphabet.
- A survey of property investors has raised fears of a fall in real estate prices in Switzerland.
- US pharma company Moderna says it is standing by its mRNA collaboration with Lonza despite ending vaccine manufacturing in Visp.
AI’s mixed messages
Next month, Swiss voters will go to the polls to elect a new parliament. But will their decisions be influenced by artificial intelligence?
Some political parties, most notably the Green Party, Social Democrats, Centre Party, Green Liberals and Evangelical Party, fear computer generated skulduggery.
They have signed a self-regulated “AI Code”, promising to alert voters whenever they use AI during their election campaigns.
It’s all too possible to superimpose an AI image of a candidate against a compromising background.
For example, a person campaigning against airline emissions standing in an easyJet queue.
However, the People’s Party and Radicals believe an AI Code of conduct is meaningless and unnecessary.
Both parties argue that they are responsible enough not to abuse AI – and besides, who is going to judge whether an image is fair comment as opposed to a malicious attack?
A final argument against using deepfakes to discredit opponents is that the perpetrator is likely to get caught and bring shame on their own political party.
It’s a far cry from the good old fashioned election tactics of knocking on doors and kissing babies.
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