VIDEO: Warnock Calls Out AI Developers, Social Media Companies, After Bizarre Health Hoax

Senator Reverend Warno ck warned about the risk to democracy after AI-generated social media posts with false health news about the Senator went viral Senator Reverend Warnock: “What if hours before an election, someone created a page with AI-generated images, fake stories about the candidates? How will voters know what’s true and what’s not true?” Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) released a video ( WATCH HERE ) on the dangers of AI for democracy after an AI-generated hoax regarding his health circulated social media. The AI-generated posts claimed that Senator Warnock had collapsed on stage, and another said he had undergone surgery and was recovering from cancer. In response, Senator Warnock stressed the need for congressional action on AI. “What if hours before an election, someone created a page with AI-generated images, fake stories about the candidates? How will voters know what’s true and what’s not true?” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “Social media companies have to move quickly to label this material. Congress needs to act.” This follows a recent visit by Senator Warnock to the proposed site of OpenAI’s new 3.2-gigawatt data center in Effingham County. After meeting with residents and members of the Protect Effingham Alliance who raised serious concerns about the impact of OpenAI’s plan on their community, Senator Warnock announced his support for a statewide moratorium on data center construction. Watch th e Senator’s video on the dangers of AI to democracy HERE Additional AI-generated photos showed the Senator with a full head of hair, while one post falsely announced he was the grandparent of twins. See below for a transcript Senator Reverend Warnock: ”I recently ran across this Facebook page that was posting tons of fake AI-generated images and stories about me. “Some of it was funny. This post, for example, says that apparently I have regrown a full head of hair. I should be so lucky. I checked the mirror this morning. Not true. “Some of it was bizarre, like this post that says I’ve had twin grandchildren. “But then there were other stories that were scary, suggesting that I was having some major health issues, and had even undergone surgery. Posts like these have received thousands of likes, thousands of views. Some well-meaning constituents and friends, well-wishers, actually called, saying that they were praying for my speedy recovery. “As these tools become increasingly powerful, it will get harder and harder to distinguish fact from fiction, and there are already bad actors out there who are doing everything they can to divide us and confuse us, and this has huge implications for our democracy. “What if hours before an election, someone created a page with AI-generated images, fake stories about the candidates? How will voters know what’s true and what’s not true? “We have a whole lot of work to do where AI is concerned. AI is here; it is a part of our lives. We must deal with issues related to safety and jobs, but this underscores yet another issue: our democracy itself. “Social media companies have to move quickly to label this material. Congress needs to act. We need guardrails. We need regulations. We need to figure this out. The future is already here.” ###