EU Tackles AI Election Risk

May 26, 2024

The European Union has identified generative artificial intelligence as one of the main threats to elections, citing concerns about “hallucinations” (providing false information), viral dissemination of deepfakes, and automated manipulation of services that can mislead voters. Microsoft is being asked by the EU to provide internal documents and data related to its generative AI features on Bing, including “Copilot in Bing” and “Image Creator by Designer.” Failure to comply could result in fines up to 1% of the company’s total annual income or daily turnover. Microsoft has invested heavily in OpenAI, a major player in AI, and is being scrutinized by the EU for its relationship with OpenAI, which some see as a disguised merger. The commission is also examining a €15-million partnership between Microsoft and French startup Mistral AI announced in February.