Four Familiar Ways AI Influences and Disrupts the 2024 Election
Artificial intelligence plays a growing role in the 2024 election, acting as an updated version of traditional campaign tactics rather than an entirely novel threat. From deepfakes to foreign interference, voters face both new challenges and familiar risks.
Artificial intelligence plays a significant role in the 2024 election cycle, though most of its applications are updated versions of familiar campaign activities rather than entirely new threats. While over half of Americans worry about AI generating and spreading false information, academic research shows that the technology mostly enhances existing election strategies rather than creating unprecedented dangers.
One major role of AI involves providing voter information, as people increasingly turn to generative AI tools like ChatGPT instead of traditional search engines to ask questions about candidates and voting procedures. However, this creates risks because AI platforms sometimes produce "hallucinations," such as providing incorrect or incomplete instructions on how to vote in battleground states, while other tools simply decline to answer election-related questions altogether.
Beyond voter information, AI also contributes to election dynamics through deepfakes and potential foreign interference, amplifying established methods of manipulation at a massive scale. These AI-driven tactics represent a modernized twist on historical election disruptions, blending cutting-edge technology with time-honored strategies to influence public perception and voter behavior.