In Japan, generative AI takes fake election news to new levels

Some AI-generated content is easy to spot as fake and is marked as such, but others are convincing enough that anyone scrolling through social media could easily be misled. Two leaders of a fledgling Japanese political party unveil a red logo reminiscent of Chinese Communist Party imagery. Grannies vent in public about what they see as political nonsense. Whatever the outcome of Sunday's Lower House election, the race will be remembered not least for having witnessed the full-blown debut of AI slop in Japanese politics. As more voters in Japan turn to social media for political updates and policy debates, the internet is increasingly looking like a dumping site for fake and dubious news and content. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.