Despite widespread concern that generative AI could interfere in this year’s major elections around the world, The technology had a limited impact on Meta Platforms’ applications, the technology company reported Tuesday.
In a press conference, Nick Clegg, president of global affairs at Meta, explained that coordinated networks of accounts that sought to spread propaganda or false content failed to create a significant audience on Facebook and Instagram nor use AI effectively.
The volume of misinformation generated by the AI was low and Meta was able to quickly label or remove the content, it said.
The Meta report comes at a time when disinformation experts say that AI-generated content has so far failed to significantly influence public opinionas notable ‘deepfake’ videos and audio, including President Joe Biden’s voice, have been quickly debunked.
Coordinated networks of accounts that try to spread false content are increasingly moving their activities to other social networks and messaging apps with fewer security barriers, or are operating their own websites to stay online, Clegg said.
Although Meta has stated that this year it has been able to dismantle around twenty covert influence operations on its platform, the company has backed away from the stricter content moderation it employed during the previous 2020 US presidential election.
The company listened to feedback from users who complained that their content had been unfairly removed, and Meta will try to protect freedom of expression and be more precise when applying its rules, Clegg said.
“We think we’ve probably gone a little overboard,” he said. “While we have really focused on reducing the prevalence of harmful content, I think we also want to redouble our efforts to improve the precision and accuracy with which we act on our standards.”
The measure also responds to the rejection of some Republican legislators who have questioned what they consider censorship of certain points of view on social networks.
In a letter sent in August to the US House Judiciary Committee, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said: said it regretted some content removals the company had made in response to pressure from the Biden administration.
