TY - JOUR
T1 - Artificial Intelligence and the Secret Ballot
AU - Mainz, Jakob Thrane
AU - Sønderholm, Jørn
AU - Uhrenfeldt, Rasmus
PY - 2022/9/1
Y1 - 2022/9/1
N2 - In this paper, we argue that because of the advent of Artificial Intelligence, the secret ballot is now much less effective at protecting voters from voting-related instances of social ostracism and social punishment. If one has access to vast amounts of data about specific electors, then it is possible, at least for a significant subset of electors, to infer with high levels of accuracy how they voted in a past election. Since the accuracy levels of Artificial Intelligence are so high, the practical consequences of someone inferring one’s vote are identical to the practical consequences of having one’s vote revealed directly under an open voting regime. Therefore, if one thinks that the secret ballot is at least partly justified because it protects electors against voting related social ostracism and social punishment, one should be morally troubled by how Artificial Intelligence today can be used to infer individual electors’ past voting behaviour.
AB - In this paper, we argue that because of the advent of Artificial Intelligence, the secret ballot is now much less effective at protecting voters from voting-related instances of social ostracism and social punishment. If one has access to vast amounts of data about specific electors, then it is possible, at least for a significant subset of electors, to infer with high levels of accuracy how they voted in a past election. Since the accuracy levels of Artificial Intelligence are so high, the practical consequences of someone inferring one’s vote are identical to the practical consequences of having one’s vote revealed directly under an open voting regime. Therefore, if one thinks that the secret ballot is at least partly justified because it protects electors against voting related social ostracism and social punishment, one should be morally troubled by how Artificial Intelligence today can be used to infer individual electors’ past voting behaviour.
U2 - 10.1007/s00146-022-01551-7
DO - 10.1007/s00146-022-01551-7
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0951-5666
JO - AI & Society: Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Communication
JF - AI & Society: Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Communication
ER -