How to Stay Alert in the Modern Age
The months leading up to the 2024 election cycle within the United States were tense, as two starkly contrasting sides with strongly opposing leaders campaigned vigorously to secure those 270 necessary electoral votes and win the United States presidency.
Now that the dust has settled down and Donald Trump has secured the presidency for a second time, many voters and media outlets have brushed over one of the most powerful tools that greatly influenced this 2024 election: artificial intelligence (AI) and artificial media. In these months after the election and the inauguration, it’s easy to forget the grip that AI held during this election cycle, and how it currently works to shift our ever-changing opinions.
This presidential election aligned with the start of the mass popularization of generative artificial intelligence across the internet, as AI has begun to appear all across social media. This mass usage was seemingly negative in terms of sharing information regarding the election, with many people’s social media timelines saturated with uncanny AI-generated deep fakes and various edited images depicting American political figures.
Various political groups from a range of different political parties, though mostly right-leaning, dedicated much time during the election to circulating AI-generated political propaganda. In one example, as recorded by the newsgroup “The Independent,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk sparked outrage after posting a fake AI image of former Vice President Kamala Harris dressed up in a communist-inspired uniform, with Musk posting, “Kamala vows to be a communist dictator on day one. Can you believe she wears that outfit!?”.
NPR described another instance when, before the Nov. election, President Donald Trump shared a false AI-generated image on Truth Social of famous singer Taylor Swift dressed in patriotic garb, claiming that she endorsed him. Both Trump and Musk repeatedly shared numerous AI images during the election, popularizing such usage with their followers.
Political AI images of these sorts lean into a certain type of absurdity, as they’re able to take text-based ideas and turn them into illustrations best used for satire and comedy. Though it’s clear most of these “memes” are viewed as comical by those who re-share them, the obvious malicious intent and misinformation spread by these pictures is hard to ignore.
Outward malicious intent behind many of these images boomed after the first presidential debate was held on Sept. 10, 2024, when President Donald Trump expressed fictional fears regarding Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ill. This public promotion of an untrue conspiracy theory about Haitian migrants stealing and eating local pets became widespread, especially shown in a new wave of AI images. False images of Donald Trump protecting pets – sympathizing Trump’s overall campaign – were extremely insensitive.
This event serves as just one example of the obvious and glaring effects of AI images used to perpetuate nasty propaganda. Many would agree that AI images and memes used as parodies are simply things to shrug off, but when people use AI to deceive, that’s an entirely different problem. The speed and ease with which AI allows for the creation of pictures also influence the volume and widespread use of misinformation among people.
Since the use of AI in politics seems so widespread, how can current and future voters successfully distinguish between factual and fictional? How does the common American stay informed when the next election cycle strikes?
First off, remain vigilant and skeptical. Don’t always trust the first article you read or the first picture you see. If you come across an article that appears to be fantastical or exaggerated, it is most likely untrue.
Secondly, cross-compare what other people are sharing and saying. If a post or poster on X or Instagram shares a politically charged view, try to see if it’s backed up by credible resources or has been debunked.
Lastly, pay attention to your personal bias regarding the media, as it’s easy to remain stuck in our political bubbles. Do your research and do not be afraid to compare news from different sides of the political spectrum.
Overall, the landscape in which we share and take in information is changing at an exceptional speed, making it hard for the average person to keep up. AI is taking over our culture in this age of “disinformation.” It’s up to us to combat it with critical thinking skills and awareness.