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The Year of the AI Election Wasn’t Quite What Everyone Expected
As the dust settles on the 2024 election season, it’s clear that the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in campaigns was not the game-changer many had predicted. While AI-powered tools did play a role in some political contests, they failed to dramatically alter the outcome or fundamentally change the nature of elections.
In hindsight, it seems clear that expectations were too high. Many pundits and tech enthusiasts touted AI as a silver bullet that would revolutionize political campaigns by streamlining processes, improving candidate outreach, and even predicting outcomes with uncanny accuracy. And while AI did make some inroads, its impact was largely limited to incremental improvements rather than transformative breakthroughs.
For example, AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants were used to help candidates connect with voters more efficiently. Some campaigns also leveraged generative AI models to generate personalized content, such as social media posts and fundraising appeals. However, these innovations did not fundamentally shift the dynamics of political engagement or voter persuasion.
Moreover, the use of AI in election law enforcement was minimal, despite concerns over disinformation and manipulation. While AI-powered tools can help detect deepfakes and misinformation campaigns, they have yet to be widely adopted for this purpose.
It’s not that AI didn’t play a role at all – it did. But the hype surrounding its potential impact on the election process may have been overstated. We should be cautious about overhyping emerging technologies like AI in politics.
As Schneier notes, while AI tools could help candidates connect with voters or file paperwork, these applications are still in their infancy and not yet a game-changer.
Source: www.wired.com
