Free Speech and Artificial Intelligence: The Next Battle in the Censorship Industrial Complex
In recent years, the battle for free speech has been fought on many fronts. From the halls of government to the streets of social media, the fight for the right to express one’s opinion without fear of censorship has been a long and arduous one. Now, it appears that the next battleground in this fight will be Artificial Intelligence (AI).
As governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) attempt to gain control over what AI considers to be “disinformation”, free speech advocates are warning that this could be the next major challenge in the fight for free speech.
The most recent example of this battle is the case of ChatGPT, a chatbot developed by the Brazilian NGO, Instituto de Tecnologia e Sociedade (ITS). ChatGPT was designed to detect and censor “disinformation” on social media. In particular, it was used to censor an article written by The Gateway Pundit about the plight of Brazilian indigenous political prisoner Sererê.
The article, which was published in July 2020, detailed the story of Sererê, a political prisoner who had been arrested and charged with “inciting rebellion” against the Brazilian government. The article was quickly censored by ChatGPT, which labeled it as “disinformation”.
This incident has sparked a debate about the role of AI in censorship. On one hand, some argue that AI can be used to detect and remove “disinformation” from social media, thus protecting users from false or misleading information. On the other hand, others argue that AI-based censorship is a form of censorship in itself, and that it can be used to suppress legitimate speech.
The debate over AI-based censorship is likely to continue in the coming years, as governments and NGOs attempt to gain control over what AI considers to be “disinformation”. Free speech advocates will need to remain vigilant in order to ensure that AI-based censorship does not become a tool for suppressing legitimate speech.
At the same time, it is important to recognize that AI can be used for good as well. AI can be used to detect and remove false or misleading information from social media, thus protecting users from being exposed to it. It can also be used to detect and remove hate speech and other forms of online harassment.
Ultimately, the debate over AI-based censorship is likely to continue for some time. Free speech advocates will need to remain vigilant in order to ensure that AI-based censorship does not become a tool for suppressing legitimate speech. At the same time, it is important to recognize that AI can be used for good as well, and that it can be used to protect users from false or misleading information.
