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AI in politics: How synthetic media could shape the 2024 presidential election


Following President Joe Biden’s announcement that he will be running for reelection in 2024, the Republican National Committee released an AI-generated video depicting a dystopian version of his potential second term. AI-generated images, audio, and video are considered synthetic media and it can be influential in shaping public opinion.

Henry Ajder, an advisor on generative AI, deepfakes, and AI policy, has studied the societal implications of these technologies.

“We’ve already seen, even now in 2023, that deepfakes and generative AI have become a massive part of the digital landscape, in terms of memes and satire,” Ajder said. “So, I imagine in the year of the election in 2024, we will see much more of this kind of content, some of it intended as satire. Some of it is, you know, intended as kind of intentionally deceptive.”

Synthetic media can effectively manipulate public opinion and spread disinformation. A prime example of this was when AI-generated images of former President Trump in handcuffs circulated on social media.

The availability of AI image generators, such as Midjourney, means that more people are gaining access to these powerful technologies.

“The real question for me, though, is whether we’re going to see that hyper-realistic video or audio, that even critical viewers can’t tell if it’s real or not,” Ajder said.

Convincing deepfakes could create the illusion of a political candidate engaging in incriminating or defamatory actions, potentially derailing their campaign.

While there are signs that can give away an AI-generated video, such as distorted lighting, blurry edges, or a lack of blinking, Ajder said that expecting voters to discern between real and fake content is not, ultimately, the solution.

“It’s really unfair to expect the individual to be able to dedicate so much of their time to sort of pore over all of the details of every single image they see on their social media feed, or keep up to date with all the latest techniques and the latest papers coming out about what new generative tools are going to be released,” he says.

Ajder suggested that the focus should be on restrictions and content moderation.

“The emphasis really needs to be placed actually, on the companies that are developing the technologies and the platforms that are hosting the content, as well as the government, international governments that are responsible for regulating and holding those groups to account,” Ajder said. “We need to have better safety measures implemented in these tools to stop them being misused so easily.”

In 2019, California passed legislation banning deepfakes of politicians within 60 days of elections, provided the creator intended to harm the politician’s reputation or deceive voters. However, proving such intent and enforcing the law has proven difficult. Critics, including the ACLU of California, have argued that it infringes on freedom of speech. Furthermore, the law has an exception for synthetic ads that disclose their origin, such as the RNC video.

As the nation heads toward the next presidential election, the debate over the regulation of synthetic media continues to intensify. The rapid advancement of AI technology is set to further complicate this issue.

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SHANNON LONGWORTH: ACCORDING TO THE RNC…

THIS IS WHAT AMERICA WOULD LOOK LIKE AFTER A BIDEN REELECTION.

HOW DO THEY HAVE IMAGES OF SOMETHING THAT HASN’T HAPPENED?

THEY USED GENERATIVE AI.

THESE IMAGES, AUDIO, AND VIDEOS ARE CALLED SYNTHETIC MEDIA…AND IT’S HAVING A HUGE IMPACT. HENRY AJDER IS AN ADVISOR ON GENERATIVE AI, DEEP FAKES, AND AI POLICY. HE LOOKS AT THE IMPLICATIONS IN SOCIETY.

AJDER: “I THINK WE’VE ALREADY SEEN EVEN NOW IN 2023, THAT DEEP FAKES AND  GENERATIVE AI, HAVE BECOME A MASSIVE PART OF THE DIGITAL LANDSCAPE IN TERMS OF MEMES IN TERMS OF SATIRE.”

“SO I IMAGINE IN THE YEAR OF THE ELECTION IN 2024, WE WILL SEE MUCH MORE OF THIS KIND OF CONTENT, SOME OF IT INTENDED AS SATIRE. SOME OF IT IS, YOU KNOW, INTENDED AS KIND OF INTENTIONALLY DECEPTIVE.”

LONGWORTH: AJDER IS ADAMANT THAT SYNTHETIC MEDIA CAN MANIPULATE PUBLIC OPINION.

IT CAN ALSO SPREAD DISINFORMATION–WE SAW HOW THAT COULD HAPPEN WHEN FAKE PHOTOS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP IN HANDCUFFS CIRCULATED ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

AND MORE PEOPLE ARE GAINING ACCESS TO THE TECHNOLOGY, WITH AI IMAGE GENERATORS, LIKE MIDJOURNEY.

AJDER: “THE REAL QUESTION FOR ME, THOUGH, IS WHETHER WE’RE GOING TO SEE THAT HYPER REALISTIC VIDEO OR AUDIO, THAT EVEN CRITICAL VIEWERS CAN’T TELL IF IT’S REAL OR NOT.”

CONVINCING DEEP FAKES COULD MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A CANDIDATE DID OR SAID SOMETHING INCRIMINATING OR DEFAMATORY AND TANK THEIR CAMPAIGN.

LONGWORTH: THERE ARE TELLS – THINGS LIKE DISTORTED LIGHTING, BLURRY EDGES, EVEN A LACK OF BLINKING CAN GIVE AN AI-GENERATED VIDEO AWAY. BUT AJDER DOESN’T THINK VOTER VIGILANCE IS NECESSARILY THE SOLUTION.

AJDER: “IT’S REALLY UNFAIR TO EXPECT THE INDIVIDUAL TO BE ABLE TO DEDICATE SO MUCH OF THEIR TIME TO SORT OF POUR OVER ALL OF THE DETAILS OF EVERY SINGLE IMAGE THEY SEE ON THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA FEED, OR KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST TECHNIQUES AND THE LATEST PAPERS COMING OUT ABOUT WHAT NEW GENERATIVE TOOLS ARE GOING TO BE RELEASED.”

LONGWORTH: AJDER SAYS, IT’S TIME TO TALK ABOUT RESTRICTIONS AND CONTENT MODERATION.

AJDER: “FOR ME, THE EMPHASIS REALLY NEEDS TO BE PLACED ACTUALLY, ON THE COMPANIES THAT ARE DEVELOPING THE TECHNOLOGIES AND THE PLATFORMS THAT ARE HOSTING THE CONTENT, AS WELL AS THE GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, INTERNATIONAL GOVERNMENTS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR REGULATING AND HOLDING THOSE GROUPS TO ACCOUNT. WE NEED TO HAVE BETTER SAFETY MEASURES IMPLEMENTED IN THESE TOOLS TO STOP THEM BEING MISUSED SO EASILY.”

LONGWORTH: WE’VE SEEN SOME LEGISLATION ATTEMPT TO WRANGLE SYNTHETIC MEDIA IN POLITICS.

IN 2019, CALIFORNIA BANNED DEEP FAKES OF POLITICIANS WITHIN 60 DAYS OF ELECTIONS…IF THE CREATOR INTENDED TO HARM THAT POLITICIAN’S REPUTATION OR DECEIVE VOTERS. BUT IT’S DIFFICULT TO PROVE THAT INTENT AND ENFORCE THE LAW. AND CRITICS, LIKE THE CALIFORNIA ACLU, SAY IT ENCROACHES ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

THAT LEGISLATION ALSO HAS AN EXCEPTION FOR SYNTHETIC ADS THAT DISCLOSE THEIR ORIGIN–LIKE THE RNC VIDEO DID.

THIS DEBATE OVER MODERATING SYNTHETIC MEDIA ISN’T GOING AWAY ANYTIME SOON. WE’RE MARCHING TOWARD THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND AI IS OUT HERE SPRINTING.