Mayor warns Deepfakes could swing a close election
Sadiq Khan's been speaking after he fell victim to a video on social media.
Last updated 16th Feb 2024
Deepfakes could swing a close UK election or referendum in future, the Mayor of London has suggested.
Sadiq Khan, who fell victim to a fake AI recording of him supposedly making inflammatory remarks in the run up to Armistice Day protests last year, made the comments during a visit to the Metropolitan Police'sCommand and Control Centre in south London on Thursday.
He told the PA news agency that regulation around the fakes is currently "not fit for purpose" and needs strengthening.
He added: "There are some downsides to the advances in technology and in AI. One of those is the use of deepfake videos, deepfake audios.
"I think regulation is not fit for purpose. It's not an issue of policing, it's an issue of legislation and regulation.
"The current laws around intellectual property, around copyright, the criminal laws, are not fit for purpose.
"We saw around Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday the consequences of an audio tape.
"My worry is, in a close election, a close referendum, these sorts of deepfake videos and audios can be the difference, but also my concern is, there are sometimes examples where these sorts of deepfake audios can lead to serious disturbances, particularly when emotions are running high.
"That's why it's incredibly important that Parliament looks into this and passes laws that are fit for purpose."
Claims Online Safety Act will help
A spokesperson for the Department for Science Innovation and Technology said it was "working to ensure we are ready to respond to threats to our democratic processes, including through our Defending Democracy Taskforce".
"The Online Safety Act will soon make social media platforms legally responsible for removing illegal mis- and disinformation and enforcing their terms of service," the spokesperson added.
"We have also introduced the digital imprints regime, which requires certain political campaigning digital material, including AI-generated material, to have a digital imprint that makes clear to voters who is promoting the content."
Mr Khan was visiting the Command and Control Centre to praise "dramatic" improvements in the way the Met responds to emergency calls, and to speak to frontline staff.
During the visit, he also told PA that people with mental illnesses and their families are happier that police are no longer the default responders to emergency calls.
The Metropolitan Police rolled out Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) in November in a bid to free up officers to deal with crime.