Vitalik Buterin Surprised by Low Deepfake Activity in 2024 Elections

As the 2024 U.S. election season ended, fears about AI-generated deepfakes influencing voters remained largely unfulfilled. Over the past year, experts predicted that artificial intelligence would significantly shape voter perceptions, but Election Day saw minimal disruptions from AI-driven misinformation.

Despite advancements in AI capabilities, the number of election-related deepfakes was unexpectedly low. Even AI leaders like Vitalik Buterin expressed surprise at the limited incidents involving deepfakes during this election cycle.

AI Companies Take Caution to Avoid Misinformation in Elections

As per a Bloomberg report, leading AI companies implemented preventive measures to reduce the risk of misinformation. Google restricted its chatbot from addressing live election results, aiming to avoid inaccuracies. OpenAI’s ChatGPT similarly advised users to rely on verified news sources, such as Reuters, for election updates.

While some companies opted for caution, others adopted more proactive approaches. Perplexity, an AI search engine startup, partnered with the Associated Press and Democracy Works to provide real-time election insights, reporting 4 million page views on its election information hub in a single day.

Read also: AI’s Deepfake Invokes Caution: UK Proposes to Implement New Rules

Perplexity’s collaboration with the Associated Press allowed the platform to pull live election data and offer updates through a dedicated information hub. This approach stood out as an innovative yet responsible way to engage users during the election.

Deepfake Rumors Fall Short as Election Day Passes Smoothly

Katie Harbath, a former Meta public policy director now advising AI firms, observed that AI-related issues during the election were minimal compared to the scrutiny faced by social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter in 2016. While there were occasional deepfakes and inaccuracies in foreign-language content, their overall impact was limited.

The cautious strategies adopted by AI companies reflected a deliberate effort to balance technological innovation with public trust. This election marked a turning point for generative AI, showcasing its potential while minimizing risks.