The Republican National Congressional Committee (RNC) released a new ad on Friday slamming Democrats over recent plans to turn national parks into tent cities for visiting migrant families. The ad, drawn from artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, describes Democrats’ “radical plan” to “turn our national parks into tent cities for illegal immigrants.”
The ad goes on to say that the move would transform “America’s treasured monuments” into crime-ridden danger zones, with “our natural preserves becoming an open door for crime, disease and human suffering.”
The ad fails to mention the fact that the Democratic-backed policy proposal only applies to two national parks, in California and Texas, that are widely considered to be the least visited and least vulnerable to crime or environmental damage in the entire national park system.
The RNC’s use of AI in this ad exemplifies the expanding role AI is taking in politics. AI algorithms can be used to craft messages that appeal to particular audiences, using predictive analytics and machine learning to detect and respond to electoral trends. AI and automation can also be used to manipulate opinion, spreading false and misleading information on social media.
