The N.H. Secretary of State’s Office released three videos Tuesday that use artificial intelligence to simulate Statehouse statues coming to life to warn voters about political misinformation.
State and federal officials have been sounding the alarm about threats to American elections this year as advancing technology has made it easier to trick voters.
In one of the videos, Peter Reid, a summer intern at the office, glances at his phone and says, “Oh man, the election got changed to Friday,” and then leans against the base of William Webster’s statue.
Webster responds, “Whoa there, you’re not buying that pile of fertilizer.”
The famous statesman and lawyer then says information like that must be verified, with special attention placed on who sent it, what evidence is being offered and where this evidence came from.
“Next, educate yourself,” Webster says. “Do a little research. Start simple. Search the topic and the person or group posting the information. Finally, think it through before sharing false or misleading information.”
The state will hold its primary election on Tuesday, Sept. 10. The general election will be on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
The other two videos have the statues of famous Gen. John Stark and noted politician and lawyer John P. Hale speaking of the dangers posed by phishing and artificial intelligence.
Phishing is the illicit practice of trying to get the user to click on a malicious link or share sensitive information.
Paula Penney, the assistant secretary of state, and Reid are walking near the statues in one of the other videos when Reid notices a new email on his phone.
“Hold up, don’t click that link,” Stark tells Reid. “I can spot that fake link from up here.”
Pause before clicking on unfamiliar links, look for tell-tale warning signs such as incorrect grammar, don’t take the link at face value and don’t share suspect links, Stark warns.
In the third video, Hale is holding a computer tablet while warning that artificial intelligence can trick voters.
It can, for example, produce fake videos and audio content that are hard to differentiate from reality.
“Remember, if it seems out of character, do a little research first, compare before you share,” N.H. Secretary of State David Scanlan says in the video. “Don’t be fooled by AI. After all, we made statues talk.”
Artificial intelligence was behind a misleading robocall in New Hampshire this election cycle, state and federal officials have said.
Steven Kramer of New Orleans was indicted on 13 felony counts of voter suppression and 13 misdemeanor counts of impersonating a candidate over AI-generated robocalls faking the voice of President Joe Biden and urging people not to vote in the state’s Jan. 23 presidential primary.
