Why AI failed to significantly impact the 2024 election

The 2024 U.S. presidential election proved more resilient to artificial intelligence disruption than many experts initially predicted, with major AI platforms implementing safeguards and potential threats being quickly identified and addressed.

Initial concerns and reality: Early warnings about AI’s potential to disrupt the 2024 election through misinformation and voter manipulation have largely failed to materialize.

• A fraudulent AI-generated robocall impersonating President Biden in New Hampshire was swiftly addressed and penalized
• High-profile instances of AI misinformation, including a fake Taylor Swift endorsement of Donald Trump, were quickly identified and debunked
• Political campaigns showed reluctance to embrace AI tools, limiting their potential impact on the electoral process

Platform safeguards: Major tech companies implemented significant restrictions on their AI systems during the election period.

• ChatGPT refused to generate images of political figures or provide information about election results
• Google’s Gemini declined to offer voting advice or respond to queries about elections and political figures
• Meta joined other platforms in limiting user interactions related to electoral content

State-level preparedness: Pennsylvania took proactive measures to combat AI-related election interference.

• The state department trained employees to identify generative AI content
• Secretary Al Schmidt and Governor Josh Shapiro reported minimal disruption, with only a few unfounded bomb threats at polling locations
• Officials maintained focus on promoting accurate information and swiftly addressing falsehoods

Expert perspectives: While obvious manipulation attempts were prevented, concerns about subtle AI influence remain.

• S. Shyam Sundar, director at Penn State’s Center for Socially Responsible AI, suggests well-executed AI manipulation might go undetected
• Kathleen Carley from Carnegie Mellon University notes increasing challenges in tracking misinformation due to rising costs of social media data collection
• Researchers face growing reluctance to study election-related misinformation due to career concerns

Looking beneath the surface: While major AI platforms’ preventive measures proved effective against obvious manipulation attempts, the potential for more sophisticated AI-driven influence campaigns remains a concern for future elections, particularly as the technology continues to advance and become more difficult to detect.