These Democrats Want the FEC To Crack Down on Elon Musk’s Grok
On Monday, a group of Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), asking the agency to adopt regulations prohibiting the creation of deepfakes of election candidates.
The letter, signed by seven congressional Democrats, was sparked by recent controversies surrounding Grok, an AI chatbot released on X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk. Unlike most other popular image-generating AI, Grok is relatively uncensored and will create images of public figures according to user instructions. For example, I was able to get Grok to generate (not particularly convincing) images of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris shaking hands with Adolf Hitler and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
X users have capitalized on this feature mostly for comedic effect. For example, a Grok-generated image of a heavily pregnant Harris paired with a beaming Donald Trump went viral earlier this month.
But concern rose when Trump shared what appeared to be several fake, AI-generated pictures depicting Taylor Swift fans endorsing him for president.
While these images were quickly identified as being false, the lawmakers still called on the FEC to essentially censor Grok and other AI models, writing that “This election cycle we have seen candidates use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in campaign ads to depict themselves or another candidate engaged in an action that did not happen or saying something the depicted candidate did not say,” adding that X had developed “no policies that would allow the platform to restrict images of public figures that could be potentially
Article from Reason.com
The Reason Magazine website is a go-to destination for libertarians seeking cogent analysis, investigative reporting, and thought-provoking commentary. Championing the principles of individual freedom, limited government, and free markets, the site offers a diverse range of articles, videos, and podcasts that challenge conventional wisdom and advocate for libertarian solutions. Whether you’re interested in politics, culture, or technology, Reason provides a unique lens that prioritizes liberty and rational discourse. It’s an essential resource for those who value critical thinking and nuanced debate in the pursuit of a freer society.