Misinformation and the Election
Imagine this: you're casually scrolling through Facebook when you stumble upon a video of a political candidate making an outrageous statement. Shocked, you hit share, spreading it to your friends and family. What you don’t know is that the video was entirely fabricated using artificial intelligence (AI). With AI and social media taking over the internet and inevitably dominating society, it can be hard to distinguish what’s real and what’s fake.
What is MIS/DISinformation?
Electoral misinformation is incorrect or misleading information about the election that spreads accidentally. While it is not initially intended to deceive voters, it is still a prominent danger to be aware of. Disinformation, on the other hand, is false information being spread to persuade voters in a damaging way. With social media more active than ever before, it is crucial to be aware of the truthfulness of the content you consume. Now, AI presents a new danger with the capability of generating fake photos and videos of political candidates.
Social Media, AI, & Deepfakes
In the age of social media, it can be hard to discern what’s real. The creation of deceptive content has become more prevalent than ever before. “Deepfakes” are videos altered by AI to change voters’ minds about a political candidate. Using people's real faces and voices, it can appear someone said something they never actually did. Social media sites have little regulation for this, making them an untrustworthy source of information. However, the disinformation doesn’t stop at social media: it can even reach you via one-on-one texts. Scams such as false polling location changes are often sent out through SMS.
How to Combat False Information
Fortunately, there are ways to avoid falling victim to misinformation. If you want to double-check a suspicious claim, fact-checking sites like Snopes and PolitiFact are reliable sources. If you find a video on social media that you think could be a deepfake, here are some signs to watch out for:
• Jump cuts in an edited video
• Odd looking lighting
• Reactions seem not to match the subject’s tone
• Differences in skin tone and juxtaposition of facial features
• Accessories like glasses have a strange look
By learning to recognize misinformation, you are upholding the integrity of our democratic process. Your vote matters, so don’t let the misinformation of the internet win.