AI Breathes Life Back into Indonesian Dictator for High-Tech Election Hijinks
“Indonesian dictator resurrected by AI for election propaganda”
“As controversial as it may be, the resurrection of Indonesia’s past dictator, Suharto via AI technology for political propaganda has sparked a heated debate and raised serious concerns about the appropriateness and potential misuse of the artificial intelligence.” This is the opening line of an interesting article posted on DailyAI, discussing the bizarre intersection of AI technology, politics, and ethics.
Now, who would have thought AI could do more than ordering pizzas or providing weather updates? Turns out, it’s dabbling in the afterlife and pulling out political figures for a quick chat. Humour aside, this is no laughing matter. It’s an indication of what’s possible with AI, which can be both exciting and, let’s admit it, a bit worrisome.
Who’d have imagined that the late Suharto, instead of enjoying peace in the afterlife, would be brought back via a deepfake video to ‘talk’ about how great a candidate in upcoming elections is? Balancing on the tightrope of incredulity, AI technology just showed us this is no circus trick. The stunt triggered responses from human rights activists, and also raised eyebrows of tech enthusiasts.
This digital necromancy doesn’t just end at resurrecting past leaders for election campaigns though. Let’s think about the potential misuse of this technology. Without necessary legislations and ethical guidelines in place, one can imagine a quick slide down the slippery slope to a world where any public figure can be ‘resurrected’ and made to say anything that suits the agenda.
On the other hand, this incident has raised curiosity into the extent AI technology can go. Unarguably, beyond election gimmicks and deepfake videos, there exists a vast landscape of positive potentiality. This, however, is overshadowed by scenarios like the one the article narrates. So, while it’s important to remember the words moderating the genuine marvel and potential of AI, another word ought to precede them: responsibility.
One can hope that these bizarre scenarios give way to prompt and responsible discussions about regulating AI technology, drafting ethical guidelines, and respecting the finality of the afterlife. At the end of the day, it’s a shared responsibility to ensure that technology serves as a means of bettering lives and not a tool for manipulation and controversy.