Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an increasingly pervasive topic in today's technological landscape. On July 17th, 2023, the WHO aired a thought-provoking episode that delved into the intricacies of AI. In this episode, featured guest Raven Harrison, a political strategist and author, provided valuable insights into the world of AI and its implications. Let's explore some of the highlights from this enlightening discussion.
WHO July 17th, 2023 with Raven Harrison
During the WHO episode, Raven Harrison shed light on various aspects of artificial intelligence and its role in the upcoming 2024 election cycle. She emphasized the lack of new regulations by the Federal Election Commission concerning the use of AI, despite the rapid advancements in this field. Raven's deep understanding of political strategy and her personal experiences positioned her as a knowledgeable commentator on this subject.
Transcript
- Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? Covering both sides of the big issues with the analysis you trust on NewsRadio 1040 WHO.
- Max Schaeffer: The 2024 election is just around the corner, and artificial intelligence is making leaps and bounds. Almost every week, there's some new story about something bad about it, something good about it. But it appears there won't be any new regulations from the Federal Election Commission in this 2024 election cycle when it comes to the use of artificial intelligence.
- So, on the Davidson Family Dentistry Newsmaker Line, political strategist, former congressional candidate, author of Raven's Mantle: Fighting the Betrayal of America, Raven Harrison. Welcome to the show this morning, Raven.
- Raven Harrison: Thank you. Good morning.
- Amy Sweet: Welcome back.
- Raven: So awesome to be here. Thank you.
- *Max: We had fun talking with you last time. Here we're talking about AI (artificial intelligence), Raven, and the fact that even though folks like Elon Musk and others venture into the AI world, they still say we need to regulate and control it. The Federal Election Commission doesn't seem to think it's a problem?
- Raven: Well, correct. I mean, I think I saw a movie of what happens with a robot and artificial intelligence having too much power. But basically, the essence of it is now they can criticize you before you even said it. It seems to be the crux of it.
- What we're talking about here is this micro content creation, and this is really complicated stuff. So I will tell people the example is when Joe Biden announced that he was going to run again. We don't know where, but when he just said he was going to run. The RNC, already within minutes of him making this announcement, there were ads out there criticizing his announcement. So that's content that's been taken and almost instantly pulled from various places on the internet and put together by AI and launched.
- So it's political messaging, which doesn't affect people who have their vote set, who they're going to vote for. It affects the ones who are primarily swing and undecided, which seems to be really tight in the 2024 election. There seems to be fewer of those in 2024 who don't know who they're voting for.
- Amy: So if I'm understanding this correctly, then AI's big problem is going to be getting accurate information because AI could be pulling content and creating misinformation. - Raven: Correct. And then you have anybody that makes anybody able to do this. You know, with this micro content, if it's generated by a computer, if you can just pull information instantaneously, pulling all the negative ads, all the information from different places and shoot that out within minutes of a candidate's speech or speaking, that's going to be hard to regulate. When you combine that with the new technology and the lack of guardrails. I mean, Fox News has been a lot in the news for kind of blurring that line of free speech and they're getting slapped on the hand. Even if they consider it partly true, they're blanket protecting it now under the First Amendment. So we've got a little bit of a recipe for disaster on that.
- Max: So the people within the Republican Party were critical of ballot harvesting among the Democrats in the last election but then suddenly have embraced that as, look, if we're going to play the game, we're going to fight the battle with the same kind of weapons they're using. In this case, it doesn't appear there are rules about AI. And so will there be an effort to try to create ethical standards or is it, you know, every man and woman for themselves?
- Raven: Well, it's funny that you say that because I always ask the question, who polices the police? Right? This is what you're looking at right now. But essentially, this is taking it to another level of eliminating the voter, the "we the people" in this. This is making it an upgraded game of mudslinging because campaigns are protected speech. You know, that's free speech. They can pretty much say anything. And if you can take that content, then I don't have to go to specialized agencies anymore to do this. That means anybody with access to a computer can be a content creator, which to me, means once you take the genie out and try to put him back into the bottle, that never worked.
- Max: Well, and there was criticism, for example, of the influence of some social media giants on the last elections. Mark Zuckerberg being one of them, as far as pouring money into places and kind of helping with this sort of ballot harvesting concept. You know, now those people lead the AI field.
- Raven: Correct. And that's a good point to make. So if you're looking at this from both sides pragmatically, Republicans said, this is cheating. You're stuffing ballots, you know, ballot harvesting, that was for COVID, COVID's over. Let's move on. But hang on, let's do these instant attack ads that are very minimally regulated. And then you've got the other side just pretty much saying, no, we promise everything's above board. We've checked ourselves and we're great. And, you know, Zuckerberg put $400 million into elections, but that's not tempering. It's just, you know, I'm glad you asked me that question.
- Max: There you go. All right, Raven Harrison, tell us about your book real quick, "Raven's Mantle."
- Raven: It is talking about these things. I'm the daughter of two Air Force colonels. We're on a loop for the fight for our country. These are unprecedented times. So we're going to talk about that, the Cold War, and basically the blueprint. That's what people don't give you. What are we going to do about it? We know what's wrong with our country, but what are we going to do about it? What can we, the people, do?
- Max: It's called "Raven's Mantle: Fighting the Betrayal of America." Raven, we hope to have you back.
- Amy: Yes
- Raven: Look forward to it.
- Max: Thank you.
- Amy: Thank you so much.
Artificial Intelligence Wrap-up
As we reflect on the discussion around artificial intelligence, it becomes evident that ethical concerns and the potential for misinformation are critical aspects to consider. Raven Harrison aptly highlighted the challenge of ensuring accurate information in an era where AI can rapidly pull and assemble content from various sources. The rise of micro content creation by AI means that anyone with a computer can now become a content creator, potentially amplifying the effects of misinformation.
The impact of AI in political messaging cannot be understated, particularly in elections where swing and undecided voters play a crucial role. The ability of AI to disseminate instant attack ads, leveraging unregulated channels, raises concerns about the fairness, transparency, and accountability of the democratic process. Raven Harrison's insights prompt us to question
In the face of these challenges, it is essential for individuals to stay informed and engage in dialogue about artificial intelligence. As citizens, we can seek to hold regulatory bodies accountable and advocate for transparent regulations that address the potential pitfalls of AI usage. By developing a deeper understanding of this evolving technology, we can actively participate in shaping a future where AI is harnessed responsibly and ethically.
