Your Voice: Need for governance in AI ahead of 2024 US presidential election; the lasting feminist impact of ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ (letters)

Soon after US President Joe Biden announced he would run for re-election earlier this year, a video generated by artificial intelligence (AI) – made by the Republican National Committee – gave an imagined look into what would happen if Biden were re-elected in 2024. This video sparked a discussion on whether there should be more governance on using AI in politics and whether federal laws on fraudulent misrepresentation should apply to deep fakes.

Using technology to sway elections is nothing new: for example, fake videos of a stuttering Biden were spread by Donald Trump supporters during the 2020 presidential election.

However, advancements in AI have made it even more difficult to detect fakes. Some have suggested using semantic forensics – looking for logistical inconsistencies – to determine what’s real and what’s fake, which can be done using computer programs such as Semafor.

However, spotting fakes may still be difficult if the creator used well-developed AI. Even if videos originally had disclaimers to show the audience they were created using AI technology, these can be lost through circulation, as was the case for a deep fake video about Biden sending Americans to fight in Ukraine.

When asked whether it was possible to distinguish AI from man-made content, Chris Mattman, an international expert on the tool, said: “US$100 million dollars are being invested today to try to answer that question, but we’re not there yet”.

AI-generated images and deep fake content have already been used to defame, such as an incident in India where female journalists and politicians were edited into pornographic videos on Facebook.

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Since AI allows mass amounts of fake news to spread quickly, it creates a lack of trust in traditional media. According to Ben Winters of the Electronic Privacy Information Centre, “Degrees of trust will go down, [and] the job of journalists and others who are trying to disseminate actual information will become harder.” All this makes it more difficult for the public to make informed decisions.

Many believe that AI should be governed more strictly. In the US, legislators have introduced bills such as the AI Disclosure Act 2023 and REAL Political Advertisements Act, which would mandate disclaimers on AI-generated content and political advertisements to enforce accountability. Meanwhile, the UK has established an Office for Artificial Intelligence, while the European Union has proposed regulations under the Artificial Intelligence Act.

Earlier this year, tech giants penned an open letter calling for a pause on AI development out of fear the technology could pose a “profound risk to society and humanity”, even suggesting that governments issue a moratorium if companies refuse to voluntarily take a break. The letter said time was needed to develop safety protocols to ensure the systems are safer and more accurate, and cited a lack of full-time researchers dedicated to ensuring the tool is aligned with human values.

The letter also stated that although organisations such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology provide risk assessments for AI, they do not force organisations to take action for said risks. It recommended policies like mandating robust third-party certification, measures to prevent and track AI model leaks, and expanding technical AI safety research funding.

When not governed properly, AI could become a dangerous tool that spreads misinformation and causes a risk to major political events, such as the upcoming 2024 US presidential election. We should create more guidelines to make sure that AI is used responsibly.

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Vedika Bahuguna, Hong Kong International School

From Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City to Kamala in Never Have I Ever, women who work are nearly everywhere in modern television.

One of the first and most well-known portrayals of a career-minded woman was The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which began airing in September 1970. The show follows Mary Richards, a single, independent woman who moves to Minneapolis, Minnesota for her job as the associate producer of a TV news show. More than 50 years later, this beloved sitcom, which ran for seven years, remains a cultural icon, especially for its portrayal of a woman focused not on a relationship but her career.

A simple premise at heart, the episodes depict the day-to-day hilarities of her work life and her relationships with her friends and colleagues. The series won 29 Emmy awards and received constant praise from critics. Its iconic theme song – with the uplifting phrase “We’re gonna make it after all!” and a shot of a smiling Mary throwing her beret into the air – shined a light on women’s achievements.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show reached out to women through the screen, letting them know that what may have seemed taboo was nothing out of the ordinary.

Clad in groovy blazers and gogo boots, turtlenecks and trousers (breaking the stereotype of women in sitcoms perpetually wearing dresses), Mary wore what she wanted, remained effervescently feminine, and took pride in her career. This was especially groundbreaking during a time when women were primarily viewed as carers and wives; the show redefined this narrative and gave the audience a way to view themselves in a new light. Not only could they concentrate on their careers, but women could be smart, funny, kind, and assertive and didn’t have to tamp down their achievements to appease the men in the room.

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The show also tackled topics that weren’t usually portrayed on screen, such as pay inequality, workplace discrimination, addiction and divorce.

It was revolutionary behind the scenes, too: by 1973, almost a third of the writers were women, which was unheard of at the time.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show broke barriers, represented hope and possibility, and showed women that it was perfectly normal to focus on their careers instead of a husband and kids. Mary was the face of the modern woman and represented everything the past was not.