The ever-evolving tapestry of artificial intelligence and a dynamically shifting “information ecosystem” fundamentally reshaped both campaign strategies and voter decision-making processes during the 2024 election cycle, according to insights from a preeminent elections and democracy expert.
In the lead-up to the election, technologists and electoral scholars had repeatedly sounded alarms that the magnitude of misinformation and disinformation would eclipse even the levels witnessed in 2020 and 2016. These warnings materialized in the fortnight preceding the election, where the manifestations of such disinformation became startlingly tangible, noted Tim Harper, a senior policy analyst specializing in democracy and elections at the Center for Democracy and Technology, as per thisisreno.com.
“There were premature declarations dismissing generative AI as overhyped in its electoral implications,” Harper observed. “Yet, within mere days before ballots were cast, we witnessed an array of disinformation campaigns unfurling in rapid succession.”
Among these disinformation efforts, Harper highlighted fabricated allegations accusing vice presidential nominee Tim Walz of engaging in sexual misconduct alongside a counterfeit video purporting to show election officials destroying ballots. Both instances were subsequently exposed as deliberate fabrications orchestrated by Russian operatives.
AL’s Encroachment into Voter Suppression Mechanisms
Beyond sowing doubt, artificial intelligence was also deployed as a tool for voter suppression, Harper emphasized, not solely by foreign adversaries but by domestic actors as well. One notable example involved EagleAI, a platform designed to scrape publicly available voter data. This technology was exploited by a 2,000-member North Carolina coalition intent on contesting ballots cast by individuals they deemed “questionable voters.”
Internal communications, unearthed through investigative reporting by Wired, unveiled the group’s focus on categories such as same-day registrants, US military personnel voting overseas, and individuals benefiting from homestead exemptions—typically older adults or persons with disabilities—where discrepancies in registration details were noted. Other targeted demographics included dormitory residents, PO Box registrants, and voters labeled with an “inactive” status, according to reports by thisisreno.com.
Lax Enforcement of Misinformation Protocols
In stark contrast to 2020, 2024 saw a discernible rollback in efforts by social media platforms to regulate misinformation. Fearful of accusations of electoral interference, many platforms adopted a hands-off approach to flagging or challenging dubious content.
Meta, the parent entity of Facebook and Instagram, alongside X (formerly Twitter), permitted political advertisements perpetuating false narratives about the 2020 election’s legitimacy. Meanwhile, YouTube revised its policies to permit election-related misinformation, rationalizing that such measures ostensibly safeguarded political discourse without exacerbating tangible risks of violence or societal discord.
The Tangible Dangers of Disinformation
Harper underscored the tangible consequences of unchecked disinformation, as articulated by federal investigative authorities. Narratives undermining the credibility of past elections were directly linked to a surge in political violence, a phenomenon exacerbated by platforms with less robust trust and safety infrastructures, such as Discord and Twitch. These platforms faced their inaugural test against large-scale disinformation campaigns during this electoral cycle, with their efficacy still under scrutiny.
“They were confronted with unprecedented challenges,” Harper remarked. “The evaluation of their success—or shortcomings—is ongoing.”
The Ascendancy of Influencers in the Political Arena
The 2024 election also witnessed a seismic shift in how political narratives were disseminated, with podcasters and social media influencers assuming a pivotal role. Unlike traditional journalists, influencers often operate outside the realm of established ethical standards, creating an opaque relationship between their endorsements and the political entities they promote, as per thisisreno.com.
Reports have surfaced of undisclosed financial arrangements between influencers and political campaigns, including instances of sponsored content shared without transparent acknowledgment of sponsorship agreements. This lack of transparency has been compounded by a ruling from the Federal Election Commission, which mandates campaign disclosures of payments to influencers but imposes no such requirement on influencers to inform their audiences.
Reflecting on this paradigm shift, Harper remarked, “In the fragmented landscape of the internet and its information channels, this electoral cycle might well be remembered as the ‘influencer election.’”
The interplay between emergent technologies, evolving media dynamics, and the pernicious spread of disinformation underscores the profound challenges facing democratic institutions in the modern age. As the electoral playbook continues to adapt, so too must safeguards to uphold the integrity of democratic processes.