The tech company said Tuesday that despite widespread concerns that generative AI could interfere in major elections around the world this year, the technology’s impact on the Meta platform’s apps was limited.
Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, said in a press briefing that coordinated networks of accounts trying to spread propaganda or false content failed to build a significant audience on Facebook and Instagram or use AI effectively. He said the amount of AI-generated misinformation was low and Meta was able to quickly label or remove content.
The snapshot from Meta comes as misinformation experts say AI content has so far failed to influence public opinion, as notable deepfake videos and audios, including President Joe Biden’s voice, have been quickly debunked.
Clegg said coordinated networks of accounts attempting to spread false content are increasingly shifting their activities to other social media and messaging apps with fewer security guardrails, or operating their own websites to remain online.
Even though Meta said it was able to remove about 20 covert influence operations on its platform this year, the company has stepped back from the more stringent content moderation it adopted during the last US presidential election in 2020.
The company listened to feedback from users who complained that their content was unfairly removed, Clegg said, and Meta will aim to protect free expression and be more precise in enforcing its rules.
“We think we may have gone too far,” he said. “While we’re really focused on reducing the spread of bad content, I think we want to double down on our efforts to improve the accuracy and precision with which we act on our rules.”
The move is also in response to opposition from some Republican lawmakers who have questioned the censorship of certain viewpoints on social media. In a letter to the US House of Representatives Judiciary Committee in August, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he regretted the company’s removal of some content in response to pressure from the Biden administration.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
