Security News > 2023 > January > AI and Political Lobbying

Rather than flooding legislators' inboxes with supportive emails, or dominating the Capitol switchboard with synthetic voice calls, an AI system with the sophistication of ChatGPT but trained on relevant data could selectively target key legislators and influencers to identify the weakest points in the policymaking system and ruthlessly exploit them through direct communication, public relations campaigns, horse trading or other points of leverage.

This ability to understand and target actors within a network would create a tool for AI hacking, exploiting vulnerabilities in social, economic and political systems with incredible speed and scope.

Legislative systems would be a particular target, because the motive for attacking policymaking systems is so strong, because the data for training such systems is so widely available and because the use of AI may be so hard to detect-particularly if it is being used strategically to guide human actors.

Maybe an AI system could uncover which members of Congress have significant sway over leadership but still have low enough public profiles that there is only modest competition for their attention.

Lobbying firms tend to work within one state only, because there are such complex variations in law, procedure and political structure.

Not everyone can afford an experienced lobbyist, but a software interface to an AI system could be made available to anyone.

News URL

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2023/01/ai-and-political-lobbying.html