2024 Elections at Risk From Generative AI

AI is an impressive technology that continues to subvert our expectations with every development. Not all of these developments are positive, however: At times, AI’s potential ranges from negative to outright dangerous.

Look no further for evidence of that fact than President Biden’s choice to fill the roll of NSA and Cyber Command leader, Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh. The intelligence nominee highlighted the threat AI poses to the US’ elections in 2024, delivering the remarks to the Senate Armed Services committee during his nomination hearing on Thursday:

“As we look at this election cycle, the area we do have to consider that will be slightly different is the role of generative AI as part of this, and so our concern is foreign use attempting to be a part of our electoral process.”

The US has faced recent challenges to its elections, especially in the past three or four cycles. Cyber Command blocked internet access for a prominent Russian troll farm to stop them from spreading lies and misinformation on the day of the 2018 midterm elections. Russian hackers were also blamed for targeting voting systems and spreading disinformation in an effort to affect the presidential election in 2016.

Now, however, we must contend with AI as a threat to our upcoming elections. While AI technologies have existed before the past year, generative AI from systems like ChatGPT has particularly exploded since late 2022, and is only growing in popularity and capability.

Haugh warned lawmakers from both political parties that AI is already being used by other countries, like China, to monitor citizens, and that we must take that into account when entering partnerships or engaging in business.