What Role Did AI Play During the Recent US Elections?

The use of AI-enhanced voices in robocalls was officially banned by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. following the contentious robocall in New Hampshire that mimicked Joe Biden’s voice.

The incident marked a turning point as the 2024 U.S. election unfolded in an era of widely accessible AI tools capable of generating realistic videos, images, and audio—often with malicious intent.

Efforts to curb AI misuse ramped up quickly. Laws governing AI in political campaigns have been passed in 16 states, many requiring explicit disclaimers for artificial intelligence content issued close to elections. The Election Assistance Commission introduced an “AI toolkit” to help election officials combat misinformation. Additionally, several states launched online resources to educate voters on identifying AI-generated information.

Experts expressed concerns about AI’s ability to produce deepfakes, making candidates seem to do or say things they never did. They warned that these technologies could mislead voters domestically or assist foreign adversaries in sowing distrust. However, the feared surge in AI-powered misinformation did not materialize. Election-related disinformation relied on traditional methods, such as misleading social media posts and manipulated images.

According to experts, generative AI is not essential for disseminating misinformation. Rather than developing completely new narratives, AI-generated assertions that do gain momentum tend to reinforce current ones. AI-generated memes and photos, for instance, went viral online following Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance’s untrue statements on Haitians in Ohio consuming pets, thereby escalating the story.

Nonetheless, researchers attribute the reduction of AI’s potential danger to new legislation and safeguards.

Tech companies also implemented measures to combat misuse. Meta required political advertisers to disclose the use of AI, while TikTok added labels to some AI-generated information. OpenAI, the creator of DALL-E and ChatGPT, banned its tools from being used in political campaigns and restricted image generation involving real individuals.

Despite concerns, traditional methods of influence remained more effective. Herbert Chang, a Dartmouth professor, highlighted that social media accounts with huge followings could spread messages without relying on AI. Memes generated through AI also lacked the virality of conventional formats, according to his research.

Internationally, foreign adversaries had yet to use AI to revolutionize disinformation campaigns. Analysts attributed this to the challenges of bypassing AI restrictions and avoiding detection. Instead, staged videos and fabricated narratives were more commonly employed.

Although some AI-driven content, such as deepfakes, did emerge, most were created as satire or for entertainment rather than political manipulation. Overall, experts agree that proactive measures, including legislative efforts and public awareness campaigns, were instrumental in curbing AI’s influence on the election. However, they caution that as AI technology advances, the need for vigilance will only grow.

While plenty of media attention is being directed at the possible harms that gen-AI is capable of, different companies like Salesforce Inc. (NYSE: CRM) are working to commercialize AI-backed solutions that could transform the way many business operations are conducted in the not-too-distant future.

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