Slovak election campaign targeted by AI deepfake disinformation spread by trolls

Summary

Trolls in Slovakia used AI-generated deepfake voices of politicians to spread disinformation ahead of the parliamentary elections, which took place in early October 2023. The deepfake videos, featuring audio impersonating political figures like Michal Šimečka and Zuzana Čaputová, were shared on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram. The content was found to be synthesized using AI tools trained on real voice samples, with some clips remaining online without disclaimers. Meta stated that political posts are not subject to fact-checking to preserve free speech, but fact-checkers continue to debunk false claims. The use of AI deepfakes in this election highlighted growing concerns about disinformation and its potential to influence voter behavior in closely contested races. Researchers noted that deepfake technology has become more accessible, enabling coordinated manipulation efforts.