Limiting election queries with Alphabet Bard and AI-powered search engines can respond

In the lead-up to the US Presidential election of 2024, Alphabet’s Google announced on Tuesday that it will limit the kinds of election-related searches for which its chatbot Bard and search generative experience can provide answers.

The corporation stated that the limits would go into effect by the beginning of 2024.

In addition to the US, a number of historic elections are anticipated in 2024, including national elections in South Africa and India, the largest democracy in the world.

In an effort to support voters and campaigns associated with these elections, the tech giant announced that it will “work with an increased focus on the role artificial intelligence (AI) might play”.

Additionally, in November, Facebook’s parent company Meta announced that it will not be allowing advertisers in other regulated industries or political campaigns to use its new generative AI advertising tools.

Additionally, advertisers on Meta will be required to disclose any instances in which Facebook and Instagram advertisements pertaining to politics, social issues, or elections are altered or created using artificial intelligence (AI) or other digital technologies.

However, Elon Musk’s social media site X, which is under investigation by the EU, announced in August that it will now permit political parties and candidates to run ads in the US. Ahead of the US election, it will also increase the size of its elections and safety team.

On X, all political advertisements were previously prohibited worldwide from 2019.

In view of the risks AI presents, including the dissemination of false information, governments everywhere have united to impose regulations on the technology.

New regulations from the European Union will force large tech companies to explicitly identify political advertising on their platforms, including who paid for it, how much it cost, and whose elections it is aimed at.