site.btaAustrian President Warns about Risks from AI-Generated Disinformation
Speaking at the 40th Media Innovation Network (MINDS) conference in Vienna on Thursday, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen issued a warning about the growing risks of disinformation stemming from the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI). The head of State drew on his personal experience to illustrate the scale of the problem. He recounted that was the subject of an AI-generated video in which he "endorsed" a cryptocurrency investment platform.
Van der Bellen was adamant that he has never endorsed investment platforms. He pointed out that modern technologies can be used by anyone with access to a computer to generate misleading content. He added that anyone can generate images portraying their opponents in compromising situations, and anyone can portray themselves as Jesus.
The President emphasized the serious impact of these processes on public trust. He noted that while the forgery in this case was relatively easy to spot, as his AI-generated clone was speaking in a North German dialect, which is different from the dialect spoken in Austria, technology is advancing rapidly, and soon such videos may become virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. In this regard, Van der Bellen emphasized the key role of fact-checking agencies as a reliable source of verified information and described them as a mark of quality that remains independent of political pressure and the pursuit of online popularity.
Van der Bellen stated that there can be no liberal democracy without truth. He added: "We need a shared understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Of what is a fact, and what is just an opinion. A shared understanding of the nature of our problems. Only then can we decide who to vote for, what to believe."
The President warned that countries around the world are trying to limit freedom of speech and to force their control over local media and the flow of information. He said: "Naturally, autocrats don't like the truth. It is their political strategy to ensure that people no longer know right from wrong. Therefore, they attack the truth. And – as you well know – they attack those who seek it. With the aim of sidelining critical voices from the process.
"The White House banned the Associated Press from briefings, the Pentagon tried to control what journalists write. [...] In Russia, you go to jail if you say this is a full-scale war against Ukraine, not just a 'special military operation'. But dealing with the press and the public in this way is not sustainable.
"In Hungary, we recently saw that even in a closed system with a media landscape that has been forced into line, people were able to mobilize against these existing structures. We saw: Ultimately, the truth prevails. Even if you try to control or manipulate it."
He called for greater media literacy, support for independent journalism, and the active defence of democratic values.
Attending the forum are representatives of leading news agencies from around the world, including BTA Director General Kiril Valchev, Secretary General Julia Sokolova, English Service Directorate Senior Editor Kaloyan Kirilov, the head of the Digitization of BTA's Specialized Archives and Reference Funds project, Svoboda Chorbadzhiyska-Todorova, and Dimitar Genev, the project's system administrator.
/DD/
Additional
news.modal.image.header
news.modal.image.text
news.modal.download.header
news.modal.download.text
news.modal.header
news.modal.text