AEC warns it doesn’t have power to deter AI-generated political misinformation at next election

Senate committee told of potential for deepfakes or cloned robocalls of Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton, which may not be illegal under current laws

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The Australian Electoral Commission has said it expects AI-generated misinformation at the next federal election, potentially from overseas actors, but warned that it doesn’t have the tools to detect or deter it.

A parliamentary committee into artificial intelligence heard on Monday that the new technology could pose risks to “democracy itself”, with concerns voters might encounter deepfakes and voice clones of Anthony Albanese or Peter Dutton before the next poll.

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