‘They feel true’: political deepfakes are growing in influence – even if people know they aren’t real

Editor's take

AI-generated imagery depicting individuals in fabricated scenarios, including women in military roles, is being monetized and deployed as propaganda, according to recent research. This trend highlights the evolving sophistication of synthetic media beyond celebrity impersonations, impacting public perception and potentially influencing political narratives.

The proliferation of these deepfakes, regardless of audience awareness of their artificiality, signifies a growing challenge in discerning truth from fabrication online. This development poses a significant threat to democratic processes and societal trust, as even known falsehoods can contribute to harmful stereotypes and misinformation campaigns. The economic incentive for creating such content further cements its potential for widespread dissemination.

Future developments to monitor include the effectiveness of platform moderation policies against this specific genre of deepfake, and whether advancements in AI detection tools can keep pace with generative capabilities. The emergence of tools that can easily produce these types of images at scale, and their subsequent impact on specific election cycles or geopolitical events, will be crucial indicators of the technology's real-world influence.