Artificial intelligence is increasingly blurring the line between falsehood and truth.<\/p>\n
The ability to generate any image in seconds is a powerful tool with significant potential for harm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Take the recent situation in Mexico as an example.<\/p>\n
Nemesio Rub\u00e9n Oseguera Cervantes, known as \u201cEl Mencho,\u201d<\/a> the head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and one of Mexico\u2019s most violent criminal figures, was reportedly killed by authorities on Feb 22.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following the reported killing, cartel operatives rampaged across 20 Mexican states<\/a>, according to news reports, causing widespread disruption in opposition to the government. Major outlets reported that gunmen had infiltrated<\/a> the Guadalajara airport, and an image of an airplane ablaze on the tarmac spread rapidly on social media.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Chaos appeared to follow<\/a>. Dozens of passengers, both residents and tourists, were reported fleeing through airport doors and taking cover behind desks.<\/p>\n Days later, however, reports emerged that the images and some accounts weren\u2019t only false news, but generated using AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n AI poses a threat to the foundational truths and democratic values on which society relies, yet navigating that threat is becoming increasingly difficult.<\/p>\n Thousands of news outlets with varying biases already exist, and social media has become a primary way people consume information.\u00a0<\/p>\n That creates a problem: social media accounts can publish content without verification and advances in AI further enable that by pairing false claims with fabricated images and videos.\u00a0<\/p>\n Although figures vary by study, research suggests false information<\/a> can make up a significant share of online content, much of it circulating on social media platforms.\u00a0<\/p>\n One of the most significant challenges AI poses is in American elections.<\/p>\n To understand what AI means for the future of U.S. politics, it helps to look at how political communication has evolved.\u00a0<\/p>\n In my first semester at Lehigh, I became interested in this subject through the now-retired professor Luke Lule\u2019s Media and Society class, where we examined the evolution of politics in the media.\u00a0<\/p>\n Newspapers were the earliest form of mass media, with many publications aligned with political parties and offering partisan coverage.\u00a0<\/p>\n Radio followed, allowing candidates such as Franklin D. Roosevelt to connect directly with the public through \u201cfireside chats\u201d<\/a> from 1933-1944, building support by informing and reassuring listeners during the Great Depression and World War II.\u00a0<\/p>\n The rise of television in the 1950s brought major shifts in campaigning. As candidates appeared on screen, personality and physical presentation became more important.<\/p>\n Television also expanded the role of entertainment in American culture. As attention spans shortened, the average televised clip<\/a> of a candidate reportedly shrank from about 40 seconds in the 1960s to about seven seconds by the 2000s.<\/p>\n Today, social media is a primary campaign tool, enabling constant, direct communications between candidates and voters. Viral messaging has helped turn candidates into public figures whose visibility can rival that of celebrities.<\/p>\n But the rapid spread of information also accelerates misinformation, a problem intensified by AI that can distort voters\u2019 perception of reality.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anyone can now create convincing content depicting candidates saying or doing things that never occured. That capability can be used to influence public opinion and raise national security concerns.\u00a0<\/p>\n During the 2024 election cycle, multiple incidents involving AI-generation content were reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n Robocalls<\/a> using an AI-generated voice resembling former President Joe Biden urged primary voters in New Hampshire not to vote. Russian operatives were also reported to have created AI-generated deepfakes<\/a> of former Vice President Kamala Harris making false, inflammatory remarks.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now that it\u2019s widely accessible, AI is likely to remain a fixture in political campaigns, the potential to erode trust in democratic institutions.\u00a0<\/p>\n If falsehood and truth haven\u2019t already become indistinguishable, they may soon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Artificial intelligence is increasingly blurring the line between falsehood and truth. 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