Manipulation in Politics and Elections
Not in recent history has a technology come along with the potential to harm society more than deepfakes. The manipulative, insidious AI-generated content is already being weaponized in politics and will be pervasive in the upcoming U.S. Presidential election, as well as those in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Regulators are struggling to control this technology as incredibly realistic deepfakes are being used to smear candidates, sway public opinion, and manipulate voter turnout.
“With respect to elections here in the U.S., it doesn’t take a lot to swing an entire national election — thousands of votes in a select number of counties in a few swing states can move an entire election,” said Professor Hany Farid from the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Information.
“My hope is that by casting a light on this content, we raise awareness among the media and public — and we signal to those creating this content that we are watching, and we will find you,” Farid told VentureBeat.
Tracking Deepfakes in the 2024 Presidential Campaign
In response to the threat posed by deepfakes in politics, Professor Hany Farid has launched a project dedicated to tracking deepfakes throughout the 2024 presidential campaign. The goal is to bring awareness and hold those responsible accountable for spreading misinformation.
“My best advice is to stop getting news from social media — this is not what it was designed for,” advised Farid. “If you must spend time on social media, please slow down, think before you share/like, check your biases and confirmation bias and understand that when you share false information, you are part of the problem.”
