Google will soon require political advertisers to disclose when they use artificial intelligence (AI) to create their ads.
The company announced Monday that it will begin requiring those disclosures in November, in an effort to curb the spread of misinformation and disinformation.
The new rules will apply to ads that use AI to create “synthetic content” that shows “people or events that look realistic.”
These include ads that use artificial intelligence to make someone appear to be saying or doing something they never did, as well as ads that alter footage of an actual event (or invent one that looks realistic) to create a scene that never happened.
Disclosures must be “prominently” displayed in the ad and must be clear and noticeable to viewers.
Tags must state that the content was created using artificial intelligence, and must also specify the type of artificial intelligence that was used. For example, an ad that uses artificial intelligence to create a deepfake of a politician should state that the audio or video is “computer generated.”
Google says the new policy is designed to “help people make informed decisions about the ads they see.”
The company also says it is working with other tech companies and industry groups to develop common standards for discovering AI-generated content.
The new policy is a welcome step in the fight against misinformation and disinformation. However, it is important to note that it is not a perfect solution.
For example, it is possible that some advertisers try to circumvent the rules by using artificial intelligence to create content that is not obviously synthetic.
In addition, the policy does not apply to all types of AI-generated content, such as ads that use AI to improve the quality of images or videos.
“Given the growing prevalence of tools that produce synthetic content, we’re expanding our policies a step further to require advertisers to disclose when their campaign ads include material that has been digitally altered or generated,” Google spokeswoman Allie Bodack said in a statement to The Verge.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education