The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in US elections should be carefully monitored this year, US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts has said in a report calling for broad safeguards to protect against AI-based abuses.
In the report, Roberts said that AI-based processes like automatic voter registration, voter scorecards and the verification of voter eligibility could potentially improve the accuracy and security of the voter registration process if used with appropriate oversight.
However, he warned that “any use of AI-based systems has clear potential for abuse and suppression,” particularly during a contentious election year like 2020.
Roberts cautioned that “elections officials must be vigilant in implementing safeguards to ensure the protection of data, the prevention of discrimination and the investigation of potential abuse,” such as ensuring consistency of data obtained from various sources; proper oversight and auditing of AI-based systems; and proper safeguards to protect the rights of individuals, among others.
He said that any AI-related process implemented for voting should also be properly tested and thoroughly evaluated to ensure accuracy and reliability.
The Supreme Court’s report comes as a number of states have started implementing AI-based processes in their voter registration systems to better reflect the changing demographics of the electorate.
