Volkswacht Bodensee - AI abuse deterring good MPs: incoming IPU chief

Romania's Anda Filip, who next Wednesday will become the IPU's first woman secretary general in its 137-year history, said political violence was on the rise, while AI had made it much easier to produce fake, abusive images.

"We live in this violent world, and AI is not making things any easier," she told AFP.

"That is why we believe that the protection of MPs is so important -- and that there are drastic penalties for those that dare to attack parliamentarians."

The situation is such that it could damage democracy if prospective MPs, particularly young women, are put off from entering politics, instead choosing another career, said Filip.

She said women currently make up 27.5 percent of parliamentarians worldwide, while just 2.8 percent of MPs around the world are aged 30 or under.

Candidates might take one look at what comes with the job and say, "I don't need this -- to be a public figure and to be subject to all this abuse", said Filip.

"It's a real challenge. But the genie is out of the bottle now. AI is out there.

"MPs also need to lead by example. They should refrain from hate speech," she added.

- Sexualised deepfakes -

Founded in 1889, the Geneva-based IPU, an organisation of national parliaments, promotes peace, democracy and human rights through parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue.

The IPU comprises 183 national member parliaments and 15 regional parliamentary bodies, and helps defend lawmakers.

Filip told a press conference that a survey of more than 500 MPs worldwide found that 71 percent had experienced violence from the public while doing their jobs.

And online abuse is "being worsened, clearly, by AI".

"AI has made it easier, cheaper, and faster to create abusive synthetic images," she said.

On Thursday, the IPU published guidance on non-consensual intimate imagery, including sexualised deepfakes.

Filip said fewer than half of countries have laws covering online abuse.

She suggested that parliaments should legislate to ensure effective takedown and victim support mechanisms, use oversight to track platform compliance, and share best practice across legislatures.

Filip also said that under her leadership, the IPU would try to stand up to "backlash" against democracy -- and encourage dialogue between the parliaments of countries in conflict.

"Given the current strains on the international order, the IPU has sought to intensify parliamentary diplomacy," she told reporters.

She said its Middle East committee was "one of the few places where still MPs from both Israel and Palestine meet on a regular basis".

A task force engages with high-level parliamentary delegations from both Russia and Ukraine.

Meanwhile over the past two years, the IPU has facilitated four meetings between the speakers of parliament of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"These talks, we believe, did help overcome deep-seated mistrust," she said.

L.Maurer--VB