PM Mitsotakis at technology meeting in Munich: Deep fakes a great threat at elections

Technology companies recognize they have an important role to play in helping protect the public from deep fakes that could be very dangerous in an election times, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a brief intervention at the 60th Munich Security Conference.

He was speaking at an event organized by technology giants on the sidelines of the conference and the signing of a technological treaty to fight misleading use of AI in the elections of 2024.

Government sources said that the treaty aims, among others, at averting the creation and distribuiton of misleading material, and the marking of source of contect that would allow the identification of suspicious distribution of material, particularly of deep fakes.

"The challenge is how we will protect ourselves from what we know will happen. And I believe it is particularly encouraging that technology companies recognize they have a serious role to play," Mitsotakis said. He added that whatever the companies and EU countries do cannot replace the European Union's obligation to regulate the sector.

Mitsotakis reviewed Greece's steps in protecting data, the law for AI, and the founding of a committee for AI. He also urged that politicians carry out awareness campaigns for the public, especially to explain what can happen through deep fakes.