Assessing the impact of generative AI and other online threats in a historic election year

2024 will be a historic year for elections. Democracies comprising 41% of the world’s population and 42% of its GDP will cast their votes around the globe. Yet recent shifts in the information space threaten to turbocharge the spread of false content at the same time major social media platforms are scaling back investments in content moderation. The widespread proliferation of generative AI systems has drastically reduced barriers to creating and disseminating wholly fabricated content or coordinating cyberattacks against political campaigns and electoral infrastructure. Many are concerned that a wave of AI-generated content could derail democratic processes globally. However, it remains to be seen whether these fears will be borne out in practice or how this technology will impact the information space over the coming year.

On February 7, the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative at Brookings will host an expert panel moderated by Valerie Wirtschafter to assess the effects of generative AI and other novel online threats to global elections in 2024, disentangle the facts from the hype, and discuss recommendations for tech companies and policymakers to address these challenges.