Arizona’s election workers are bracing for deepfakes ahead of November.

The AI Election

The Story

Arizona’s election workers are bracing for deepfakes ahead of November.

Tell me more.

The key swing state gathered dozens of election workers from across its counties for what’s believed to be a first-of-its-kind deepfake drill. For two days, they experienced scenarios involving AI-generated voice messages, attempted hacks, and fake social media posts. By the end of it, one worker reportedly said the takeaway was “trust no one.” The event resulted in a training document that organizers plan to share with poll workers across the country. Arizona is far from alone in its attempts to address the threat of deepfakes and AI ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

What do you mean?

One analysis found that 39 states have either passed or introduced legislation to protect elections from AI-generated or altered disinformation. That includes New Mexico, which made it illegal to intentionally use AI-generated content to sway voters. Others like Florida and Wisconsin require campaigns to disclose when AI is being used in ads. It comes as some election officials have already dealt with deepfakes this year, prompting the federal government to outlaw AI-generated robocalls. Still, it’s an uphill battle against the technology, considering it can take just seconds to generate fake images.

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Election workers, who already face conspiracy theories and violent threats, are on the frontlines of protecting the integrity of elections. Now, the threat of AI is so pervasive that some experts are calling this year’s presidential race the “AI election.”

What’s being leveraged against Israel…

A weapons pause. Yesterday, President Biden issued one of his strongest warnings yet to Israel, threatening to withhold US weapons if there’s a ground invasion in Rafah. The president also acknowledged that American weapons have been used to kill civilians in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war. Biden’s comments come after he paused a shipment of weapons to Israel last week. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, the leaders of three K-12 public school districts testified about how they’ve handled antisemitism in the classroom since the start of the war. The chancellor of New York City schools, the largest district in the country, said at least 30 students have been suspended since Oct. 7 and reportedly about a dozen staff members were disciplined. He clarified that he also stands up to Islamophobia and all other forms of hate, adding “you can’t put them in silos.”

What’s getting a dose of AI…

Biology. Yesterday, Google DeepMind unveiled the latest version of its artificial intelligence model designed to help scientists understand the human body and fight disease. AlphaFold 3 can help predict the shapes of proteins and the interactions of DNA and RNA. Scientists say the technology could help speed up the development of new drugs and vaccines. Still, the AI model’s accuracy varies and some have reportedly raised concerns as to whether such technology could be used to create bioweapons.

What found the money…

FTX. Nearly two years since the failed cryptocurrency exchange collapsed, some customers, creditors, and investors are expected to receive the money they lost plus interest. FTX’s bankruptcy lawyers said the company recovered enough money (read: at least $14 billion) to pay people back in the coming months.

…Oh and speaking of ongoing cases, nine out of 10 wrongful death lawsuits stemming from the 2021 Astroworld festival have been settled.

What might be better than going out for brunch…

Holding a “rage ritual.”

What’s heading to the Midwest…

“The Office” spinoff.

What could be heating up…

A Sriracha shortage.

Who’s speaking out about the Bravo drama…

Andy Cohen.

This Mother’s Day, theSkimm’s Parenting team chatted with Kate Hudson about motherhood.  

“I’ve had one kid the last [three] decades. They’re all seven and a half years apart, so I’ve been in very different places in my life as I’ve raised each child. And you know what? They’re all very different kids,” she says.

Subscribe to learn more about how her parenting style evolved for each of her kids. Oh, and see if you agree with us on our rank of best to worst Mother’s Day outings, plus the parenting news and expert advice we’re known for.

PS: New subscribers are entered to win** some of our fave earrings – so you can celebrate yourself (or a mom you love) in style.

Brick Breaker meets word search in Spelltower, your new favorite game. For every word you find, letter tiles disappear. The fewer tiles left when you run out of words, the better your score. Try it.