• President Joe Biden on Monday issued a sweeping executive order aimed at curbing the spread of deceptive content generated by artificial intelligence (AI), but some experts say the decision will We believe that this may lead to stronger content suppression.
• Monday’s executive order protects Americans, in part, by labeling deepfakes, which are AI-generated deceptive content made to look real, according to a fact sheet detailing the order. The focus seems to be on protection.
• “The justification for the executive order leaves open the possibility of all sorts of things, especially censorship,” Joel Thayer, director of the Institute for Digital Progress, told DCNF. “What constitutes an AI label if it’s just a label on something? What are the regulatory actions that can be taken if it’s not labeled properly? Will they force it? How much influence will the White House have over those decisions?”

President Joe Biden signed a sweeping executive order on Monday to crack down on false content generated by artificial intelligence (AI), a move that could lead to more online censorship, experts say. There is.

The Biden administration recently secured “voluntary commitments” from major technology companies in July to address the risks posed by AI, and also released an AI blueprint. invoice It is mainly about “discrimination,” “fairness,” and “prejudice.” Monday’s executive order appears focused in part on protecting Americans by labeling and identifying deepfakes, which are fraudulent content created by AI that appears to be real. according to You will be directed to a fact sheet that provides an overview of your order. (Related: Biden administration reveals new chip regulations focused on China)

Although the fact sheet does not explicitly mention “misinformation” or “disinformation,” the vague language leaves open the possibility of content censorship, experts told DCNF.

“The justification for the executive order leaves open the possibility of all sorts of things, especially censorship,” Joel Thayer, director of the Institute for Digital Progress, told DCNF. “What constitutes an AI label if it’s just a label on something? What are the regulatory actions that can be taken if it’s not labeled properly? Will they force it? How much influence will the White House have over those decisions?”

According to the fact sheet, an example of clearly identifying content created by AI is by “watermarking” the content.

Learn how President Biden’s groundbreaking executive order on AI will help America lead in this era of technological change while keeping Americans safe. pic.twitter.com/SvBPxiZk3M

— White House (@WhiteHouse) October 30, 2023

Government regulation of AI is important but could go too far, John Schweppe, policy director of the American Principles Project, told DCNF.

“There is a role for the government to directly oversee AI, especially when it comes to scientific research and homeland security,” Schweppe explained. “But ultimately, we don’t need government bureaucrats micromanaging every aspect of an issue.”

Experts also expressed concern about the executive order’s guidance on preventing “algorithmic discrimination,” in which AI systems fail to produce fair outcomes in areas such as housing, health care, and criminal justice.

“Certainly, we don’t want the Office of Artificial Intelligence running around investigating whether a company’s AI algorithms are properly ‘waked up,'” Schweppe argued.

The order “protects Americans from AI-based fraud and deception,” according to the fact sheet. The Department of Commerce will develop recommendations to identify “AI-generated content and certified official content.”

The phrase “authenticating official content” raised red flags for R Street Institute Senior Fellow Adam Thierer.

“Today’s executive order opens up a number of potential interventions by federal bureaucrats into the AI ​​market, including the speech market,” he told DCNF. “Government efforts around ‘certifying official content’ raise difficult questions about what constitutes disinformation and misinformation from a regulatory perspective.”

“We’ve already seen some policy fights surrounding the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) controversial Disinformation Control Board, and more bureaucrats are trying to figure out what algorithmic speech is permissible.” “We expect these battles to intensify as we try to make decisions about what will happen,” Tiller added.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Said In 2022, lawmakers claimed the agency established a Disinformation Control Commission to combat misinformation and disinformation targeting minority communities. The board faced widespread scrutiny from Republicans, and DHS suspended the board.

Alan Davidson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information in the Biden Administration claimed In April, it was announced that AI regulation could include a government assessment of whether AI is spreading “misinformation, disinformation or other misleading content”.

The White House, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Department of Commerce did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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