2024, a “super-cycle” election year, saw 3.7 billion eligible voters across 72 countries head to the polls. This year also marked the “first AI elections,” sparking widespread concern about the potential for AI-generated deepfakes and misinformation to undermine democratic processes. As the year concludes, it’s time to assess the real impact of AI on the electoral landscape. While pre-election surveys revealed significant anxiety about AI’s potential misuse, the reality has been more nuanced.
Bridging the Communication Gap with AI
One of AI’s most impactful contributions to the 2024 elections was in language translation. Campaigns leveraged AI translation tools to broaden their reach. From local governments in Japan and California to global leaders like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, AI facilitated communication with diverse constituencies. Google’s expansion of free translation services to 110 additional languages further amplified access to political discourse.
Beyond translation, AI-powered conversational tools enabled candidates to engage directly with voters. Several U.S. presidential primary candidates deployed chatbots, while fringe candidate Jason Palmer, who surprisingly outperformed Joe Biden in the American Samoan primary, attributed some of his success to AI-generated campaign materials. Even imprisoned Pakistani politician Imran Khan utilized an AI voice clone to deliver speeches. Perhaps the most striking example is Takahiro Anno, a Tokyo gubernatorial candidate who used an AI avatar to answer over 8,600 voter questions, ultimately securing a respectable fifth place in a crowded field.
Alt text: A screenshot of an AI avatar used by Takahiro Anno, a Tokyo gubernatorial candidate, to answer voter questions during the 2024 election.
Streamlining Campaign Operations
AI also made inroads into campaign fundraising and organization. Companies like Quiller and Tech for Campaigns offered AI tools to optimize fundraising emails, while other systems facilitated targeted donor outreach with personalized messages. While measuring the precise impact of these tools remains challenging, the growing interest in AI-driven fundraising is undeniable.
Polling, already a data-driven field, incorporated AI techniques like “social listening” to gauge voter sentiment on social media and the creation of “synthetic voters” for extensive polling simulations. The long-term effectiveness of these methods remains to be seen, but ongoing research suggests promising potential for addressing the growing difficulties of traditional polling.
AI assistants emerged as valuable tools for political organizers, aiding in message crafting, ad generation, speechwriting, canvassing coordination, and get-out-the-vote efforts. Following the trend set in Argentina’s 2023 presidential race, candidates worldwide likely utilized similar AI capabilities in 2024. In the U.S., a Georgia politician employed AI for content creation, demonstrating the integration of AI into even standard productivity software. AI systems also provided strategic advice to candidates considering higher office runs.
Navigating the Rise of AI-Generated Misinformation
While AI-generated misinformation did surface in the 2024 elections, its impact was less severe than anticipated. Instances of fake audio, deepfake videos, and fabricated celebrity endorsements circulated, but their influence on election outcomes appeared limited. A fake Joe Biden robocall in New Hampshire, AI-generated images from disaster areas, and deepfakes targeting candidates’ vulnerabilities did not significantly sway public opinion. Even attempts by foreign intelligence services to leverage AI for election interference seemed to yield minimal results.
Countering Misinformation with AI
Conversely, AI also contributed to safeguarding the information ecosystem. OpenAI used its own AI models to thwart an Iranian disinformation campaign aimed at disrupting the U.S. election. While AI facilitates the creation of convincing fakes, it also empowers tech platforms to automate content moderation, efficiently filtering hate speech and extremist content. Though current AI moderation systems require further refinement to ensure fairness and effectiveness, their potential for scalability and adaptability across languages and cultures is significant. Notably, corporate bans on political uses of AI proved largely ineffective, with widespread usage persisting despite efforts by companies like OpenAI to restrict access.
The Future of AI in Politics
The trends observed in the 2024 elections, both positive and negative, are expected to continue. As AI advances, its influence on politics will likely deepen, permeating every facet of campaigns and governance. This integration will occur regardless of AI’s performance, accuracy, or the overall balance of its impact. The driving force behind AI adoption remains the perceived advantage of automation, whether by political parties, campaigns, interest groups, or even individuals.
