Three months to save democracy: new AI election report published

Spotting deepfakes and questioning the provenance of information is essential to safeguard democracy as millions of voters head to the polls this year.

stock photo of a woman scrolling a smartphone and voting at the same time

That's according to a new report by the University of Surrey's Institute for People-Centred AI.

The report calls for campaigns teaching the public to spot AI-generated content. It also demands greater funding for research into detecting deepfakes.

Misinformation at election time is nothing new. Yet, AI makes it easier than ever before to sow false information among voters.

That’s why we must give voters the tools to tell fact from fiction. Greater media literacy can only strengthen our democracy. Dr Bahareh Heravi, Reader in AI and Media

Among the report’s other key recommendations:

Wider use of content verification – including clear labelling for AI-generated material.
A ‘fact-checkers code’ to encourage media companies to investigate and report misinformation.
Laws should be made to make social media companies responsible for content on their platforms.
Funding for UK-based research into AI tools which could help detect misinformation and disinformation.

The report also calls for greater leadership from politicians on all sides.