The AI threat in elections: Solberg meets with tech giants at the President's Residence

President Isaac Herzog and Central Elections Committee Chairman Judge Noam Solberg convened representatives of Meta, Google, Microsoft, and TikTok at the President's Residence for a discussion on preparing for artificial intelligence threats, disinformation, and influence operations ahead of the elections. The meeting addressed deepening cooperation, with each platform presenting its detection and enforcement mechanisms.

President Isaac Herzog and Central Elections Committee Chairman Judge Noam Solberg convened representatives of four technology giants — Meta, Google, Microsoft, and TikTok — at the President's Residence for a discussion on preparing for artificial intelligence threats, disinformation, and influence operations ahead of the elections. The meeting addressed deepening cooperation between the committee and the platforms, which already maintain a professional working channel. Company representatives presented the actions each is advancing according to its policy and technological capabilities, and expressed willingness to continue cooperation. The relationship with the companies is particularly vital given the limitations of the Elections Committee's authority in the online space — the committee has no general authority to oversee all content or remove false content on its own. Policy is not uniform: TikTok bans paid political advertising and requires labeling of AI-generated content that appears realistic; Google allows election ads subject to verification. Preparations for the digital arena began months earlier, with the establishment of a dedicated team of the Elections Committee and the Shin Bet, and an exercise addressing cyber threats, foreign influence, and the use of artificial intelligence. In the current election campaign, for the first time, there is a requirement to label propaganda created or altered by digital means in a way that could make it appear real. Herzog warned of "real dangers" and called on the public to beware of falsehoods. Solberg defined social networks as "the new town square" and said the committee must protect the integrity of the elections while preserving freedom of expression.