Meta says gen AI had muted impact on global elections this year

Despite widespread concern that generative AI could interfere with major elections around the globe this year, the technology had limited impact across Meta Platforms’ apps, the tech company said on Tuesday.

Coordinated networks of accounts seeking to spread propaganda or false content largely failed to build a significant audience on Facebook and Instagram or use AI effectively, Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, told a press briefing.

The volume of AI-generated misinformation was low and Meta was able to quickly label or remove the content, he said.

The snapshot from Meta comes as misinformation experts say AI content has so far failed to significantly sway public opinion, as notable deepfake videos and audio, including of President Joe Biden’s voice, have been quickly debunked.

Coordinated networks of accounts attempting to spread false content are increasingly shifting their activities to other social media and messaging apps with fewer safety guardrails, or are operating their own websites in order to stay online, Clegg said, adding that Meta took down about 20 covert influence operations on its platform this year.

Clegg said Meta was overly stringent in its content moderation decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in content that was mistakenly removed.

The company heard feedback from users who complained that their content had been removed unfairly, and Meta will aim to protect free expression and be more precise in enforcing its rules, Clegg said.

“We feel we probably overdid it a bit,” he said. “While we’ve been really focusing on reducing prevalence of bad content, I think we also want to redouble our efforts to improve the precision and accuracy with which we act on our rules.”

Some Republican lawmakers have questioned what they say is censorship of certain viewpoints on social media. In an August letter to the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he regretted some content take-downs the company made in response to pressure from the Biden administration.

Clegg said Zuckerberg hoped to help shape President-elect Donald Trump’s administration on tech policy, including AI.

“Mark is very keen to play an active role in the debates that any administration needs to have about maintaining America’s leadership in the technological sphere … and particularly the pivotal role that AI will play in that scenario,” he said.