The hour is ripe for political deepfakes. The U.S. presidential elections are still four months away, and the campaign has already seen a controversial attempted political assassination of one candidate and the withdrawal of another in response to concerns about mental acuity. The basic realities of the normal American electoral process have been shredded – and, according to new research from Jumio, many voters see biometric deepfakes lurking in the fissures.
A release from Jumio says its 2024 Online Identity Study reveals a deep unease among U.S. adults about the potential for AI deepfakes to influence the upcoming elections. Among some 2,000 Americans queried for the survey, 72 percent express concern that AI and deepfakes could come into play, and 70 percent say they trust online political content less than they did during the last election cycle. Even grimmer, just 30 percent say they trust political news they find online.
Other trends are consistent with general global attitudes about AI and deepfake technology: people want more from their governments on AI regulation, even as they overestimate their ability to detect a deepfake with their own eyes.
