NEW YORK MAYOR’S ROBOCALLS USE AI TO APPEAR MULTILINGUAL – IS IT ETHICAL?
In a shocking revelation, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has admitted to using artificial intelligence (AI) to make robocalls in various languages that he does not speak. The calls, known as robocalls, have been sent out to promote city events and have been recorded in languages such as Mandarin and Yiddish. This new use of AI by the government raises ethical questions about its manipulation and misleading nature.
Adams claims that the robocalls are an attempt to directly speak to the diverse population of New Yorkers. However, critics argue that this use of AI is unethical and misleading to the public. The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project has called out Adams, stating that these deepfake robocalls are nothing more than a “creepy vanity project” that are being funded by public money.
The issue of AI and deepfakes has become increasingly prevalent, particularly in politics and election misinformation. Many are calling for stricter regulations and monitoring from both the government and major media companies. Google, for instance, has taken the initiative to identify political advertisements that use AI to fake a candidate’s voice or actions. However, Meta, formerly known as Facebook, does not have a specific rule regarding the use of AI in political ads.
In response to these concerns, a bipartisan bill in the U.S. Senate is being proposed to ban “materially deceptive” deepfakes related to federal candidates, with exceptions for parody. Additionally, members of Congress have sent a letter addressing their concerns about AI-created political ads on social media platforms.
While this controversy continues to unfold, it is clear that the use of AI and deepfakes in various applications is on the rise. Companies like Spotify and ElevenLabs have already introduced AI features that can translate recordings or change spoken words into different languages while maintaining the original speaker’s voice.
Adams’ office stated that they used the ElevenLabs tool for their robocalls, ensuring accuracy by having native speakers listen to the recordings before sending them out. It has been confirmed that robocalls have been made in Spanish, Yiddish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Haitian Creole.
Although Adams defends his use of AI, stating that he is merely trying to communicate with New Yorkers in the languages they understand, the ethical implications of this technology cannot be ignored.
What do you think about Mayor Adams’ use of AI for robocalls? Is it a necessary tool for reaching diverse communities, or does it cross a line? Comment below and share your thoughts!
I’m Dan Novak.
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