Arizona leaders warn of possible AI threats to upcoming election

PHOENIX (AZFamily) – Election Day, November 5th, is just over two weeks away, and with it comes concerns about what impact AI could have.

The McCain Institute hosted a discussion Thursday with various government leaders to assess potential AI threats to this year’s election.

They generally agreed that the main problem with AI in this election cycle is not that it could impact the vote itself, but rather that it can be used to mislead voters before the election.

AI technology is growing every day and is becoming a compelling way to imitate government officials. Foreign Minister Adrian Fontes and his team used AI to create a deepfake video of themselves to highlight the problem AI can cause during early voting.

“When I first saw it I was a little shocked because I don’t speak French, German, Italian or Russian,” Fontes said. “It just shows where the technology is, where it’s going and what we need to pay attention to.”

During the McCain Institute discussion, government leaders talked about how AI can be used to trick people during election season.

“We want to make sure people turn to trusted sources for information about time, place and type,” Fontes said.

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors member Bill Gates is not running for re-election. After the 2020 election results were certified, he faced constant harassment and threats.

He said his team is already preparing for further attacks this election.

Using the deepfake video created by Fontes as an example, he believes that similar AI videos could be created using the likeness of him or his team on the Internet to spread misinformation about the electoral process and results.

“This is something we’re going to have to deal with, so we’re prepared for it, and I think the good news is that we’re dealing with it in a mostly low-tech way,” Gates said.

By “low-tech,” Gates means talking to people in real life and in front of our cameras to deliver real information to voters at home.

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