Most Americans Fear AI Impact on 2024 Election

As the 2024 presidential election looms on the horizon, fresh concerns have surfaced among the American population regarding the potential misuse of artificial intelligence, which could taint the integrity of the democratic process. A significant majority, over three-quarters of US citizens, express apprehension that AI could be weaponized to alter the election results pitting President Joe Biden against former President Donald Trump.

In a study titled AI & Politics ’24, helmed by researchers Lee Rainie and Jason Husser from Elon University, data reveals a staggering 78% of individuals expecting AI abuse in the forthcoming election, while a mere 5% hold the belief that AI will be beneficial to the electoral process. “The forthcoming election is poised to be conducted within an environment bogged down by misinformation challenges, as voters predict the emergence of novel, AI-driven false content and manipulation strategies,” Rainie, director of Elon’s Imagining the Digital Future Center, imparted.

Elon University’s Imagining the Digital Future Center in collaboration with the Elon University Poll conducted this poll featuring 1,020 adult participants nationwide. The polling period spanned April 19-21. The study, which has a margin of error of +/-3.2% and a 95% confidence level, suggests 39% believe AI will sabotage the election process, heightening the sentiment of uncertainty among the electorate.

The survey discovered that nearly half of the population, 46%, are advocating for legal repercussions against candidates who malevolently misrepresent photos, videos, or audio. Moreover, 69% confessed a lack of confidence in their ability to recognize doctored images. When questioned about their experiences with large language models or chatbots, such as ChatGPT, only 23% acknowledged utilization, leaving the majority unsure of any inherent biases within these tools.

On the subject of election integrity, the poll found 60% of respondents either “very” or “somewhat” confident that votes will be accurately registered and tallied. However, the confidence levels exhibited a partisan divide: 83% of Democrats expressed confidence, contrasted by 60% of Republicans who harbored doubts.

The poll also probed attitudes towards punitive actions for proven cases of AI misuse by political candidates. An overwhelming 93% favored some form of punishment, with options ranging from no penalty (garnering a mere 4% support) to criminal prosecution (36%) and the barring from—or expulsion from—office (46%). Notably, women, high earners, and college-educated individuals leaned towards prevention from holding office as a fitting consequence, while Republicans showed a slightly higher inclination than Democrats for imposing serious fines.

However, even though concerns are escalating, 61% of the polled individuals remain confident in their ability to source accurate news and trustworthy information during the election. Regrettably, this optimism isn’t reflected in their views of the wider voting populous, with only 28% confident in the general voter’s ability to discern credible political news.

“Misinformation is an old tactic in electoral battles, but AI amplifies the threat, empowering malicious entities with potent tools to proliferate deceit like never before,” explained Husser, a political science professor and the director of the Elon University Poll. “Although voter awareness of AI risks is apparent, the real impact of AI-generated misinformation on behavior will only be apparent post-election.”

“We might remain hopeful that well-informed voters will treat election information with increased skepticism, thus sharpening their media literacy. Less optimistically, AI-related misinformation fears could erode self-efficacy, diminish trust in institutions, and dampen civic engagement,” Husser added, reflecting on the potential ramifications.

This pulse of trepidation regarding AI-abuse rings a somber bell as campaigns heat up. Will voters become adept at identifying the latest ai news & ai tools, discerning AI images generator and artificial intelligence generated images? Or will these advancements cloud their judgment? The stakes are high, and AI video generator technology’s role is under close scrutiny. With AI text generator and such innovations being the new battlefield, it is clear that vigilance, education, and resilient democratic systems are vital in safeguarding the electoral process from the shadow of manipulation.