Dec 3 (Reuters) - Despite widespread concern that

generative AI could interfere with major elections around the

globe this year, the technology had limited impact across Meta

Platforms' ( META ) apps, the tech company said on Tuesday.

Coordinated networks of accounts seeking to spread

propaganda or false content largely failed to build a

significant audience on Facebook and Instagram or use AI

effectively, Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global affairs,

told a press briefing. The volume of AI-generated misinformation

was low and Meta was able to quickly label or remove the

content, he said.

The snapshot from Meta comes as misinformation experts say AI

content has so far failed to significantly sway public opinion,

as notable deepfake videos and audio, including of President Joe

Biden's voice, have been quickly debunked.

Coordinated networks of accounts attempting to spread false

content are increasingly shifting their activities to other

social media and messaging apps with fewer safety guardrails, or

are operating their own websites in order to stay online, Clegg

said.

Even as Meta said it was able to take down about 20 covert

influence operations on its platform this year, the company has

retreated from more stringent content moderation it employed

during the previous U.S. presidential election in 2020.

The company heard feedback from users who complained that

their content had been removed unfairly, and Meta will aim to

protect free expression and be more precise in enforcing its

rules, Clegg said.

"We feel we probably overdid it a bit," he said. "While

we've been really focusing on reducing prevalence of bad

content, I think we also want to redouble our efforts to improve

the precision and accuracy with which we act on our rules."

The move is also in response to push-back from some Republican

lawmakers who have questioned what they say is censorship of

certain viewpoints on social media. In an August letter to the

U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Meta CEO Mark

Zuckerberg said he regretted some content take-downs the company

made in response to pressure from the Biden administration.

(Reporting by Sheila Dang in Austin; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )