AI Plays Familiar Roles in 2024 Election Despite New Fears
Artificial intelligence introduces risks like deepfakes and hallucinations to the 2024 election, but researchers note its current uses are mostly updated versions of traditional campaign activities.
Artificial intelligence plays a growing role in the 2024 election, sparking widespread concern among American voters. Polls show that well over half of the public worries that AI will generate and spread false or misleading information during the campaign season.
Despite these fears, researchers find that most current uses of AI in the election are not entirely novel. The technology primarily serves as an updated version of familiar campaign activities, such as providing voter information through generative chatbots instead of traditional search engines.
Risks remain significant, as AI tools sometimes produce "hallucinations" that give incorrect voting instructions or create convincing deepfakes. Additionally, there is ongoing concern about how foreign actors might abuse this technology to interfere with the democratic process at scale.