AI Deepfakes and Eroding Social Media Guardrails Threaten 2024 U.S. Election

As misinformation tools grow stronger and social media companies shift priorities, experts warn of a 'tsunami of misinformation' in the upcoming presidential race.

Experts warn of an impending 'tsunami of misinformation' in the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election, fueled by the mainstreaming of AI deepfakes and the erosion of social media guardrails.
The majority of Republicans (57%) still believe that Joe Biden was not legitimately elected president, and former President Donald Trump continues to promote unsupported election fraud theories.
Sophisticated AI tools capable of producing convincing fake images, videos, and audio clips are becoming increasingly accessible, raising concerns about their potential misuse in the election.
Social media companies, once heavily invested in combating misinformation, have shifted their priorities, and platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Meta, and YouTube have removed policies that protected against hate and misinformation.
Election officials are preparing for the resurgence of election denial narratives and misinformation, with initiatives such as #TrustedInfo2024 and laws criminalizing the non-consensual sharing of deepfake images to influence an election.