When the generative-AI boom first kicked off, one of the biggest concerns among pundits and experts was that hyperrealistic AI deepfakes could be used to influence elections. But new research from the Alan Turing Institute in the UK shows that those fears might have been overblown. AI-generated falsehoods and deepfakes seem to have had no effect on election results in the UK, France, and the European Parliament, as well as other elections around the world so far this year. Instead of using generative AI to interfere in elections, state actors such as Russia are relying on well-established techniques--such as social bots that flood comment sections--to sow division and create confusion, says Sam Stockwell, the researcher who conducted the study. But one of the most consequential elections of the year is still ahead of us.

AI-generated content doesn't seem to have swayed recent European elections But there's still a risk it could in the future, say researchers. AI-generated falsehoods and deepfakes seem to have had no effect on election results in the UK, France, and the European Parliament this year, according to new research. Since the beginning of the generative-AI boom, there has been widespread fear that AI tools could boost bad actors' ability to spread fake content with the potential to interfere with elections or even sway the results. Such worries were particularly heightened this year, when billions of people were expected to vote in over 70 countries. Those fears seem to have been unwarranted, says Sam Stockwell, the researcher at the Alan Turing Institute who conducted the study . He focused on three elections over a four-month period from May to August 2024, collecting data on public reports and news articles on AI misuse.