Lumen Spring Summer 2023 - Flipbook - Page 17
“So then I can take that argument and ask it
‘give me some reasons why that is’ and it can
elaborate.”
Keith is hoping a situational awareness tool
he is developing with Dr Rachel Stephens,
Associate Professor Carolyn Semmler and
Professor Lewis Mitchell will help to map,
detect, and defend against hostile influence
campaigns being generated and orchestrated
using AI.
“The beauty of AI is that it can generate
arguments and reasons for things, before
anyone has even brought them up,” he says.
“This gives you a planning and ‘whatif ’ capability that lets you say, ‘look, they
haven’t started using that argument here,
but if they do, look what happens’.”
As AI continues to improve, the situational
awareness tool, in conjunction with
advances in the writing capabilities of the
software, can generate a rapid-fire and
self-evaluating writing machine that could
help analysts understand the influence of
campaigns being used by malignant actors.
Identification of these campaigns will
help to protect democratic processes and
ensure that populations are not misled
as they participate in public debates and
decision making.
“We just don’t know where the ability to
automate influence will go. But there’s
a strong reason for us to investigate it.
Now is the time that we should be getting
experience with these tools for these
purposes as we’re pretty sure someone
else is doing the same,” says Keith.
“AI shows immense promise to help us
overcome major challenges, but without
regulation, the quality of information it
provides could be harmful,” says Carolyn.
“It’s up to us to determine the best way
forward.”
Isaac Freeman is Communications Assistant for
the University of Adelaide, and Photographic
Editor for Lumen.
Top: AI artist Cam Harless reimagined US
presidents rocking mullets
Middle: AI generated images of Donald Trump
being arrested went viral
Bottom left: The New Zealand National party
has recently admitted to the use of AI to create
fake “people” for attack ads on the New Zealand
Labour party. The two healthcare professionals
seen in this image are entirely generated by AI
- a startling example of the accuracy of readily
available software
Bottom right:This AI image of a casual Pope
in a puffer jacket fooled the world
LUMEN – SPRING/SUMMER 2023 17
