The Impact of Deep Fakes in the Age of Populism and Post-Democracy

Abstract

In 2024, almost half of the world’s population participated in electoral processes or is due to vote. The United States of America (USA), the European Union (EU), or India are among the democratic entities which organize elections in 2024. Citizens from autocracies like the Russian Federation are also summoned to express their options at the polls, although in their cases the proceedings are obviously flawed. Disinformation can manipulate outcomes both in liberal democracies and in hybrid regimes. In this context, our endeavor tries to analyze the impact of deep fakes on elections, in particular, and on political phenomena in general. A new remarkable tool, created with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI), is weaponized by various politicians. Thus, an already worrying process of democratic backsliding seems to be accelerating. Both populist and non-populist politicians are using deep fakes in order to create unfair competitive advantages. Through several case studies, we describe and explain the influence of deep fakes on political developments. We highlight that populist groups can benefit from the politic al instrumentalization of deep fakes. Nevertheless, AI’s dark side offers opportunities for politicians that are outside of the populist sphere too. Overall, the phenomenon described by Colin Crouch as post-democracy seems to be enhanced by the evolutions we describe. Reversing this trend would require both regulations from the authorities and a reconstruction of the public’s trust in political mechanisms.