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Did AI deepfakes actually impact the general election?

An AI-generated Reform UK candidate rumour was debunked as there were fewer instances of deepfakes than expected during the general election.
Image credit: ComposedPix / Shutterstock

Ahead of the recent general election, politicians, industry groups and the media were sure this would be the ‘AI election’ in which advances in artificial intelligence would threaten the democratic process with disinformation.

Among the biggest concerns was the potential for deepfakes – AI-generated images, video or audio designed to look real – to sway voters during the general election.

In the lead-up to polling day, one of many major global leadership races set for 2024, fears that AI-powered deepfake trickery would affect the results were running high, according to numerous surveys and reports.

One of those, with a sample size of more than 2,000 British adults from digital ID startup Onfido, found that almost half (42%) of respondents believed that deepfakes would influence the election outcome....