According to a comprehensive analysis by Washington Post reporters Pranshu Verma, Will Oremus, and Cat Zakrzewski, artificial intelligence played a less direct role in influencing the 2024 US presidential election than experts initially feared. Instead of changing voter decisions, AI technology primarily contributed to deepening partisan divides and undermining public trust in authentic information. Research from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue reveals that voters increasingly struggled to distinguish between real and artificial content throughout the election cycle.
While AI-generated deepfakes and misinformation spread widely on social platforms, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), researchers found no evidence of these activities materially impacting voting processes. The technology was primarily used to reinforce existing beliefs rather than change minds, with approximately 40% of AI-generated content being shared for satirical purposes. Experts warn that the lasting impact of AI may be its role in creating what UC Berkeley professor Hany Farid describes as “a fundamentally polluted information ecosystem.”