Brits need new AI labelling legal guidelines as Nigel Farage deepfake sparks rip-off warning
EXCLUSIVE: New polling shows three quarters of Brits want compulsory labeling for AI-generated images on social media as fears grow that hyper-realistic clips are misleading users
Most people in the UK support banning under-16s from social media(Image: Yalana)
Three quarters of Brits want mandatory labelling of AI images to stop people being deceived, new research shows.
Ministers face calls to bring in the legal requirement as a first step to tackling the AI “slopocalypse” on social media. It comes after a fake video depicting Nigel Farage attacking the Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, was widely shared on X this week – sparking warnings about scams.
The House of Commons Library research, commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, found 73% of voters believe there should be a legal requirement to label fake videos, with more than half saying they strongly supported the move. Although platforms like TikTok do have measures to identify AI content, critics point out that Elon Musk’s X platform has no specific guidance to do so.
Lib Dem technology spokeswoman Victoria Collins told The Mirror : “We are drowning in an AI slopocalypse that is actively warping reality. Tech giants cannot be left to self-regulate while the online world degenerates into a digital Wild West. The current system is a hodgepodge of contradictions.
“On one app you might see a sparkle, on another a technical label, and on others – like X – there is seemingly no specific guidance at all. AI is a fast-moving technology and we need our regulators to respond at the same pace.”
She called for a legally required labelling system enforced by regulator Ofcom, stating: “Just as we have food standards so you know what you are eating, we need digital standards so you know what you are reading and watching.”
The polling of 2,234 adults found just one in 10 oppose a legal requirement to label AI. It comes amid growing concerns that increasingly-realistic deepfakes are aiding the spread of misinformation and in some cases fanning the flames of tension.
Money expert Martin Lewis has previously hit out at “terrifyingly convincing” deepfakes appearing to depict him endorsing products. This week X users have been bombarded with an AI-generated video depicting Mr Farage seemingly attacking Mr Bailey in a TV studio. The clips are believed to be used to link users through to overseas cryptocurrency sites.
In a statement the Bank of England chief said: “Unfortunately, fake adverts impersonating the Bank of England and other central banks are on the rise. These scams are designed to criminally exploit the public, especially the vulnerable, when they are online.” He urged the public to stay vigilant and report scams when they see them.
Mr Farage posted: “You may have seen some bizarre AI videos on this platform today. Whilst Andrew Bailey and I have our disagreements, I would never take it that far!”
Labour Party chair Anna Turley said on Wednesday morning that she had thought about boycotting X, formerly known as Twitter. She told LBC Radio: “I think about that all the time.
“Yeah, you know, I think that there are lots of concerns about X. I personally find it a really positive way to engage with some of my constituents, but there’s no doubt that there are some really deeply worrying messages being conveyed through social media. We are concerned about the use of disinformation in our democracy. These are things that I know the government is taking very seriously in looking at.”
