Meta announces Elections Operations Centre to curb AI-generated fake content

New Delhi: General elections in India are approaching fast. AI-generated fake content has become a serious threat for upcoming elections. Social media giant, Meta, on Tuesday said it will activate an India-specific Elections Operations Centre. The centre will bring together experts who will identify potential threats and put specific mitigations in place across its apps (Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram) while aiming to curb AI-generated fake or manipulated content.

Meta said the company will continue efforts to limit misinformation, remove voter interference, and enhance transparency and accountability on its platforms to “support free and fair elections”.

“We are dedicated to the responsible use of new technologies like GenAI and collaborating with industry stakeholders on technical standards for AI detection, as well as combating the spread of deceptive AI content in elections through the Tech Accord,” said the company.

In addition to this, Meta is also expanding its network of third-party fact-checkers in India investing in consumer awareness initiatives to help people spot misinformation.

The company now has 11 fact-check partners across the country covering 15 languages. There are 15,000 content reviewers who review content across Facebook, Instagram and Threads in more than 70 languages — including 20 Indian languages.

“We are closely engaged with the Election Commission of India via the Voluntary Code of Ethics that we joined in 2019, which gives the Commission a high-priority channel to flag unlawful content to us,” said Meta.

The Election Commission of India also expressed its concern regarding the issue of fake news during its press conference held on March 16 to announce the schedule of the upcoming elections. In the press conference, the CEC Rajiv Kumar also talked about the problem of fake news.

“Tackling misinformation in today’s digital age is complex. We have put certain measures in place to ensure misinformation is nipped in the bud. We’re proactive in debunking fake news. Originators of fake news to be dealt with severely as per extant laws,” Kumar said.