AI propaganda warning

The People’s National Party (PNP) is being accused of using artificial intelligence (AI) as part of a political agenda to take down Prime Minister Andrew Holness

With that accusation comes a wider call for the nation to be prepared for an onslaught of propaganda made easier by the radical growth in technology.

Dr Christopher Tufton, deputy chairman of the JLP’s Area Council Two, who made the charge, at the same time called for Daryl Vaz, in his capacity as minister of science, energy, telecommunications and transport, to bring discussions to Parliament to establish sanctions for those involved in what he described as a manipulation of the people of Jamaica to believe what never was.

Addressing the public session of an Area Council Two meeting, held yesterday at the Riversdale community centre in St Catherine North West, Tufton warned JLP supporters to be prepared to see more cases in which content appears on social media showing party members saying things they did not say, doing things they did not do, or in places they never were.

“The PNP is pursuing an artificial intelligence strategy, and that strategy is one of misrepresentation, propaganda, and character assassination, and Labourites and Jamaicans must have none of it,” Tufton told the crowd of cheering JLP supporters.

He continued: “And when you combine artificial intelligence and TikTok, Labourites get confused. They don’t know what to believe or what is true and what is false.”

Last night, Tufton’s comments received a sharp rebuke from Opposition Leader Mark Golding, who labelled them “utter nonsense”.

“Those are words of desperation from a member of a government whose popularity is in sharp decline,” Golding, the president of the PNP, told The Gleaner.

“The PNP is moving full steam ahead, and will not be deterred by Mr Tufton’s ridiculous propaganda. We will continue to hold the Andrew Holness administration accountable on behalf of the people of Jamaica, who we serve.”

Tufton, in his presentation on the platform, said AI is the art of using technology to give the impression that people are saying and doing things that they didn’t say or do.

“With AI, they take off a man’s head and put it on another body, then change up the voice so it sounds like somebody else, and the biggest target is the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party, Andrew Holness,” Tufton added.

He said he had seen cases where images were circulated on social media of Holness holding a placard in his hands, “saying things that he never uttered because AI put it in his hand and then uploaded it to TikTok”.

Tufton cautioned the party supporters to take heed, ask questions, and seek clarity when they are unsure about certain remarks on social media that are attributed to the party leader.

“The time is now that, as a Government and as a minister, we must bring discussions to Parliament to establish some ground rules where people who create mischief by using artificial intelligence are brought to book and are sanctioned for that misrepresentation,” he said while turning to Vaz, seemingly to get his attention.

Tufton concluded that when it comes to democracy, the people of Jamaica must make representation based on truth and not falsehood.