In anticipation of the 2024 US Presidential election and other significant global elections, Google has announced plans to restrict the types of election-related queries that its chatbot Bard and AI-based search can provide responses to. The company aims to enforce these restrictions by early 2024, focusing on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in serving voters and election campaigns.
This move follows a similar decision by Meta, the owner of Facebook, in November, where it prohibited political campaigns and advertisers in regulated industries from using its generative AI advertising products. Meta’s advertisers are now required to disclose the use of AI or other digital methods in altering or creating political, social, or election-related advertisements on Facebook and Instagram.
Conversely, Elon Musk’s social media platform X, currently under investigation by the European Union, announced in August that it would permit political advertising in the US from candidates and political parties. X also plans to expand its safety and elections team in preparation for the upcoming US election, a shift from its previous global ban on political ads since 2019.
Governments worldwide are increasingly advocating for the regulation of AI due to concerns about its potential threats, such as the dissemination of misinformation. In response, the European Union is introducing new rules that mandate clear labeling of political advertising on Big Tech platforms, including information about the sponsor, the amount spent, and the targeted elections.
