AI is Shaping Politics, But Not in the Ways Experts Feared

AI’s unexpected role in the 2024 U.S. presidential race: Contrary to initial fears of hyper-realistic deepfakes, artificial intelligence is shaping the election through absurd and often cartoonish content, particularly in the contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

The surreal landscape of AI-generated political content: Rather than sophisticated deepfakes, voters are encountering a barrage of outlandish AI-created images and videos that push the boundaries of reality and political messaging.

• AI-generated memes featuring Trump riding a cat or Harris sporting a mustache have become commonplace, showcasing the technology’s capacity for creating bizarre and attention-grabbing content.
• These surreal creations, while often humorous, can still convey false information or racist messages, serving as vehicles for political propaganda.
• The ease of creating such content using AI tools has led to a proliferation of outlandish political imagery designed to drive engagement and spread quickly across social media platforms.

Trump campaign’s embrace of AI-generated content: The former president’s team appears to be at the forefront of utilizing AI for political messaging, outpacing their opponents in the production and distribution of AI-created media.

• Trump and his allies have leveraged AI-generated memes to promote conspiracy theories, including unfounded claims about migrants stealing pets.
• Some Republicans defend these images as lighthearted jokes that reflect Trump’s personality and appeal to his base.
• The Trump campaign’s aggressive use of AI-generated content highlights the technology’s potential to rapidly produce and disseminate politically charged messages.

Harris campaign’s cautious approach: In contrast to their opponents, Vice President Harris and her team have adopted a more reserved stance on AI-generated content in their campaign strategy.

• The Harris campaign states that it primarily uses AI for productivity tools rather than content creation.
• Democrats have employed AI-generated images to a lesser extent, suggesting a more cautious approach to the technology in political messaging.
• This disparity in AI usage between the two campaigns underscores the evolving nature of political strategies in the age of artificial intelligence.

Experts warn of potential consequences: While the current wave of AI-generated political content may seem harmless or even comical, specialists in the field caution against underestimating its impact on public discourse and voter perceptions.

• Even absurd AI memes have the potential to perpetuate harmful narratives and conspiracy theories, potentially influencing voter opinions and behaviors.
• The use of AI for political propaganda has been observed in elections globally, with some countries experiencing more sinister applications of deepfake technology.
• Some Republican figures have expressed concerns about the way Trump and the GOP are utilizing AI-generated political memes, indicating growing unease within the party about these tactics.

The global context of AI in elections: The phenomenon of AI-generated political content is not unique to the U.S., as similar trends have been observed in elections worldwide.

• Other countries have experienced more malicious uses of deepfake technology in their electoral processes, highlighting the potential for AI to be weaponized in political campaigns.
• The global prevalence of AI in elections underscores the need for international dialogue and potential regulation of these technologies in political contexts.

Analyzing the implications: While the worst-case scenarios of AI in elections have not materialized, the technology is still playing a significant and evolving role in shaping political messaging and public discourse.

• The current landscape of AI-generated political content, dominated by absurd and often humorous creations, may be lulling some into a false sense of security about the technology’s impact on elections.
• As AI tools become more sophisticated and accessible, there is potential for more subtle and persuasive forms of AI-generated propaganda to emerge, potentially posing greater challenges to electoral integrity and informed voter decision-making.
• The divergent approaches of the Trump and Harris campaigns to AI usage may set precedents for future elections, influencing how political parties and candidates leverage this technology in their messaging strategies.