The Truth Behind the Machine: Uncovering How AI Impacts the United States Through Misinformation, Influence, and Over-automation

Abstract

This journal article focuses on the questions: How does artificial intelligence impact the United States through false social media posts, false advertisements, and threats to national security? What modes of regulation can the federal government take to protect decision-making, autonomy, and security of the country? The thesis that stems from this research states that, from the research conducted, artificial intelligence impacts voting through false headlines and false advertisements due to the unrestricted access Americans have to programs like OpenAI and DALL-E. The lack of misinformation checkers on social media websites further adds to this issue by permitting users to confuse the public by posting mis or disinformation, with little to no repercussions on their end. The federal government can put restrictions on what people can and cannot create with artificial intelligence, regarding political or national issues, to protect our autonomy, decision-making, and, in some cases, national security. Research on how artificial intelligence impacts voters in the United States by allowing users to generate false information to deliberately misinform others, allowing the government to unconstitutionally check the internet usage of its inhabitants, challenging the ideas of a traditional democracy, and lastly, polarizing America through social media algorithms was all conducted through examining scholarship on similar topics. Research was also conducted by helping an elderly woman in the community, creating a curriculum for a teach-in, as well as a survey, and finally, constructing a petition directed toward California representatives, Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff. Findings reveal that artificial intelligence does play a significant role in challenging democracy, threatening national security, and limiting individual thinking. Although there were limitations to the research, ultimately, the research question was partially answered.