Rules for negative campaigns: Multiple parties agree on a code about AI

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The five parties from the center-left AI coalition have agreed on a code, they announced on Monday. The parties called on their cantonal parties and candidates to join the voluntary declaration.

The signatories want to make AI authorship known in auditory or visual campaigns such as posters and advertisements. They also want to completely avoid the use of auditory or visual AI products in negative campaigns. Such campaigns try to portray political competitors in a bad light.

AI offers opportunities for new forms of communication, but also entails risks, the parties wrote. AI could be used to create harmful auditory or visual content that could attribute false facts or statements to other political actors.

The FDP does not participate in the code. Instead, the Liberals decided to make a voluntary commitment, according to a statement. The FDP therefore wants to prevent the misuse of AI, which is mainly caused by so-called ‘deepfakes’ and poses a threat to democracy. ‘Deepfakes’ are realistic-looking photos, audio recordings or videos that have been distorted using AI techniques.

From the FDP’s point of view, it is ‘absurd’ to want to ban negative campaigns with AI, while the same visual effects could be achieved with Photoshop. What constitutes a negative campaign also depends on the point of view. Furthermore, all technical aids must be treated equally.

The SVP makes no voluntary commitment to the use of AI. SVP Secretary General and National Councilor Peter Keller (NW) told Swiss Radio and Television (SRF) that the problem lay in defining what exactly a negative campaign was and who controlled it. Anyone who commits gross mischief with AI during the election campaign will be caught and exposed. (SDA)

Source:Blick