Meta takes action against disinformation and AI misuse ahead of EU elections

Meta, the company that owns Facebook, is establishing a dedicated team to combat disinformation and address the misuse of generative AI in the lead-up to the European Parliament elections scheduled for June. The rise of generative AI, capable of rapidly producing text, images, and videos in response to prompts, has raised concerns about its potential use to disrupt major elections globally. The European Parliament elections, taking place from 6-9 June, involve 720 lawmakers who, along with the EU governments, shape new policies and laws for the EU.

In preparation for the elections, Meta plans to activate an Elections Operations Center led by Marco Pancini, Meta’s head of the EU affairs. The centre aims to identify potential threats and implement real-time mitigations against misinformation, influence operations, and risks associated with the abuse of generative AI. Meta’s team will consist of experts from various domains, including intelligence, data science, engineering, research, operations, content policy, and legal teams.

To strengthen their efforts, Meta will collaborate with three new partners in Bulgaria, France, and Slovakia, adding to the 26 independent fact-checking organisations already working across the European Union, covering 22 languages. This collective initiative aims to enhance the detection and prevention of misinformation surrounding the elections.

Why does it matter?

Meta, along with Microsoft, OpenAI, and 17 other tech companies, recently agreed to collaborate to prevent deceptive AI content from interfering with elections globally throughout the year. This coordinated effort underscores the industry’s acknowledgement of the potential risks associated with AI-generated content and the shared commitment to safeguarding the integrity of democratic processes.