It seems like artificial intelligence is everywhere lately, from commencement addresses to Google’s search results pages. It’s everywhere, and it’s making voters nervous.
According to the recently-released 2024 Trust Index Report from Telesign, AI 75% of U.S. respondents said they believe “misinformation has made election results inherently less trustworthy,” going into the November election. Even more (81%) said “they fear that misinformation from deep fakes and voice clones is negatively affecting the integrity of their elections.”
Survey responses were fielded between March 11 and April 6 of this year. That was just after reports surfaced in February about robocalls featuring an AI-generated version of President Joe Biden’s voice were targeting voters in New Hampshire. This fake Biden voice urged voters not to participate in the state’s primary election.
“It’s important that you save your vote for the November election,” said the voice. “Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday.”
These calls even came from a number that appeared tied to the state’s Democratic party.
“Ensuring public confidence in the electoral process is vital. AI-generated recordings used to deceive voters have the potential to have devastating effects on the democratic election process,” said New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella of the calls.
Even before reports about the Biden robocalls came out, voters were wary of AI and its potential impact on the election. According to a Morning Consult poll conducted last December for the Bipartisan Policy Center, just 2% of Americans said they would use AI-enabled chatbots as a source of election information. AI chatbots ranked below any other information source – even lower than “don’t know/no opinion.”
“While adults may not seek out information on AI-enabled chatbots, they may not always know when they’re interfacing with one, particularly as campaigns explore ways to integrate generative AI into operations for the first time,” said the Bipartisan Policy Center. “Additionally, AI-powered misinformation and targeted digital persuasion campaigns remain a big concern.”
Former President Donald Trump – the current presumptive GOP candidate for president – has made frequent claims about election interference regarding the 2020 election, which he lost to Biden. Voters may be concerned about AI, but the December survey showed that their general faith in U.S. elections is strong.
“A majority of respondents (69%) are confident their votes will be counted accurately in the 2024 election,” it said. “This includes majorities of Republicans (60% very or somewhat confident), Independents (59%), and Democrats (85%).”
According to Telesign, its Trust Index highlights a need to prioritize trust and security that businesses, governments and individuals should take note of. Threats include account takeovers, fake accounts, fraud trends that use generative AI and deepfakes. For example, Audacy reported last month that AI could spread misinformation about the Holocaust.
Telesign said this means using fire to fight fire… or, in this case, using AI to fight AI.
“The emergence of AI over the past year has brought the importance of trust in the digital world to the forefront,” said Christophe Van de Weyer, CEO of Telesign. “As AI continues to advance and become more accessible, it is crucial that we prioritize fraud protection solutions powered by AI to protect the integrity of personal and institutional data – AI is the best defense against AI-enabled fraud attacks.”