Generative AI systems, such as ChatGPT, are trained on large datasets to create written, visual or audio content in response to prompts. When fed real images, some algorithms can produce fake photos and videos known as deepfakes.
Content created with generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems are playing a role in the 2024 presidential election. While these tools can be used harmlessly, they allow bad actors to create misinformation more quickly and realistically than before, potentially increasing their influence on voters.
Domestic and foreign adversaries can use deepfakes and other forms of generative AI to spread false information about a politician’s platform or doctor their speeches, said Thomas Scanlon, principal researcher at Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute and an adjunct professor at its Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy.
“The concern with deepfakes is how believable they can be, and how problematic it is to discern them from authentic footage,” Scanlon said.
Voters have seen more ridiculous AI-generated content — such as a photo of Donald Trump appearing to ride a lion — than an onslaught of hyper-realistic deepfakes full of falsehoods, according to the Associated Press. Still, Scanlon is concerned that voters will be exposed to more harmful generative content on or shortly before Election Day, such as videos depicting poll workers saying an open voting location is closed.
That sort of misinformation, he said, could prevent voters from casting their ballots because there will be little time to correct the false information. Overall, AI-generated deceit could further erode voters’ trust in the country’s democratic institutions and elected officials, according to the university’s Block Center for Technology and Society, housed in the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy.
“People are just constantly being bombarded with information, and it’s up to the consumer to determine: What is the value of it, but also, what is their confidence in it? And I think that’s really where individuals may struggle,” said Randall Trzeciak, director of the Heinz College Master of Science in Information Security Policy & Management (MSISPM) program.
Leaps and bounds in generative AI
For years, people have spread misinformation by manipulating photos and videos with tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Scanlon said. These fakes are easier to recognize, and they’re harder for bad actors to replicate on a large scale. Generative AI systems, however, enable users to create content quickly and easily, even if they don’t have fancy computers or software.
People fall for deepfakes for a variety of reasons, faculty at Heinz College said. If the viewer is using a smartphone, they’re more likely to blame a deepfake’s poor quality on bad cell service. If a deepfake echoes a belief the viewer already has — for example, that a political candidate would make the statement depicted — the viewer is less likely to scrutinize it.
Most people don’t have time to fact-check every video they see, meaning deepfakes can sow doubt and erode trust over time, wrote Ananya Sen, an assistant professor of information technology and management at Heinz College, in a statement. He’s concerned that ballot-counting livestreams, while intended to increase transparency, could be used for deepfakes.
Once the false information is out there, there’s little opportunity to correct it and put the genie back in the bottle.
Unlike previous means of creating disinformation, generative AI can also be used to send tailor-made messages to online communities, said Ari Lightman, a professor of digital media and marketing at Heinz College. If one member of the community accidentally shares the content, the others may believe its message because they trust the person who shared it.
Adversaries are “looking at consumer behavioral patterns and how people interact with technology, hoping that one of them clicks on a piece of information that might cascade into a viral release of disinformation,” Lightman said.
It’s difficult to unmask the perpetrators of AI-generated misinformation. The creators can use virtual private networks and other mechanisms to hide their tracks. Countries with adversarial relationships with the U.S. are likely weaponizing this technology, Lightman said, but he’s also concerned about individuals and terrorist groups that may be operating under the radar.
What voters need to know
People should trust their intuition and attempt to verify videos they believe could be deepfakes, Scanlon said. “If you see a video that’s causing you to have some doubt about its authenticity, then you should acknowledge that doubt,” he said.
Here are a few signs that a video could be a deepfake, according to Scanlon:
You can read more in an article by Emma Folts published in the CMU web site.