Australia's Military Chief Warns of 'Truth Decay' Amid AI Disinformation Threat

Quincy Jon, Tech Times 14 September 2023, 04:09 pm

General Angus Campbell, the Chief of the Australian Defence Force, issued a stark warning about the dangers of "truth decay," which he attributed to the development of artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities in democracies.

At an Australian Strategic Policy Institute conference, Campbell warned that AI-driven misinformation operations may erode trust and divide nations.

Campbell highlighted the effectiveness of these operations in weakening trust in institutions and fostering strife by singling out Russia's use of misinformation as a "weapon of statecraft" in the United States and the United Kingdom. Although misinformation efforts have a long history, he pointed out that advanced technology has increased its scope and effect.

Democracies Face Grave AI-Generated Threats

The general highlighted the rise of AI-driven deepfakes, which imitate public authorities and pose national security dangers. He expressed concern that there may come a day when it is practically impossible for the ordinary individual to tell reality from falsehood, thus accelerating "truth decay" and undermining public trust in elected authorities.

"This tech future may accelerate truth decay, greatly challenging the quality of what we call public 'common sense', seriously damaging public confidence in elected officials, and undermining the trust that binds us," he said, as quoted by The Guardian.

Campbell addressed this issue and underlined the need to encourage individuals' critical thinking to successfully counteract misinformation, per The Singleton Argus. The top military official emphasized how democracies like Australia must change to meet the new threats.

The Australian Defence Force chief also stressed the need to confront rapid technological breakthroughs and rising great power rivalries. In addition, he issued a warning about the disruptive effects of the climate catastrophe and called for more cooperation to prevent a world that has been "provoked by our collective neglect."

US Senate Tackles AI Threats as US Elections Approaches

Separately, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer recently organized an AI meeting with representatives from government and IT companies in the US. Discussions focused on the urgent measures needed to combat the dangers of AI, particularly in the lead-up to the 2024 US elections.

Deepfakes, election tampering, and assaults on vital infrastructure all drew the ire of US policymakers. As a possible defense against misleading AI-generated information, Senator Schumer raised the possibility of watermarking materials.

"We discussed watermarking. There are several things that need to be done, but that one may have a shorter timeline than some of the others, and it's crucial to complete, Schumer said, as quoted in a report published by Rappler.

Schumer acknowledged the need for AI laws but cautioned against making quick choices due to the hazards associated with excessively prompt regulation. He also believes that the European Union's approach to AI legislation was "too fast."

Leading figures in technology were present at the closed-door event at the US Capitol, including Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla; Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms; and Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet. To increase transparency and consumer knowledge, some tech businesses have committed to creating watermarking solutions for AI-generated content.

TechTimes earlier reported that Elon Musk backed the creation of a federal AI agency while expressing his continued worry about the dangers posed by the advancement of AI. He emphasized the significance of the occasion by labeling AI research a "civilizational risk" that may be detrimental to everyone.