It's the AI Election Year

It's the AI Election Year

Author: WIRED May 30, 2024 Duration: 35:16
In the largest global election year yet, generative AI is already being used to trick and manipulate voters around the world. Will this growing trend have real impact? Today on WIRED Politics Lab, we talk about a new online project that will be tracking the use of AI in elections around the world. Plus, Nilesh Christopher dives into the lucrative industry of deepfakes, and how politicians are using them to bombard Indian voters. Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Vittoria Elliot is @telliotter. Write to us at politicslab@WIRED.com. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here. Mentioned this week: AI Global Elections Project  “Indian Voters Are Being Bombarded With Millions of Deepfakes. Political Candidates Approve,” by Nilesh Christopher “A Far-Right Indian News Site Posts Racist Conspiracies. US Tech Companies Keep Platforming It” by Vittoria Elliot and David Gilbert

Navigating today's political landscape means understanding the forces that shape it online, where the lines between news, conspiracy, and entertainment are increasingly blurred. WIRED Politics Lab is a weekly exploration of this digital arena, hosted by WIRED's own reporters. They don't just recount the headlines; they delve into the mechanics of internet extremism and the spread of disinformation, examining how these phenomena influence real-world politics and policy. Each episode functions as a guided tour through a complex and often chaotic information ecosystem. You'll hear conversations grounded in factual reporting and research, designed to unpack the week's most pressing and puzzling developments. The goal is to provide more than just analysis-it's about equipping you with context and clarity. This podcast offers tools to critically assess the narratives flooding our feeds, helping to distinguish signal from noise. Tune in for a substantive, sometimes surprising look at how politics operates in the age of algorithms and viral campaigns, and leave with a sharper understanding of the digital currents driving our collective future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 37

WIRED Politics Lab
Podcast Episodes
The Trump Shooting, Conspiracies, and Calls for War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:31
Right after former president Donald Trump was shot at his campaign rally in Pennsylvania, conspiracy theories exploded online. Today on WIRED Politics Lab, we discuss the subsequent calls for violence and civil war, and…
The Kamala Harris Conspiracies Are Here [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:08
After President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate, speculations that Vice President Kamala Harris may fill the void are everywhere. Today on WIRED Politics Lab, how the far right is already pushing racist and misogynistic co…
From Marketplace: Breaking New Ground [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:25
Today on WIRED Politics Lab, the first part of a series from Marketplace that explains how the New Deal changed American society.
Pod Save America Comes to WIRED [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:15
Today on WIRED Politics Lab, Pod Save America co-hosts Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor join the show to discuss what the Biden administration has to say about Disinformation. Plus, how to wade through the social media muck…
Far Right Militias Are Back [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:06
Jake Lang was arrested for his involvement in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. From prison, he has organized an armed militia that now has thousands of members nationwide. Today on WIRED Politics Lab, report…
AI Chatbots Are Running for Office Now [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:07
Today on WIRED Politics Lab, we're digging into AI chatbots. In a bizarre turn of events, two AI chatbots are running for elected office for the first time—ever. VIC is campaigning for mayor in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and AI…
Twitter Is Dead, Long Live the Portal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:46
Twitter is officially dead. Last week, twitter.com became x.com, marking the final step in a rebranding effort that the company’s owner, Elon Musk, announced last year. The change marks a shift for the now bird-less app…
Hasan Piker Won't Tell You to Vote for Joe Biden [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:30
Hasan Piker is one of the biggest political streamers on Twitch. With more than two million followers and streams that average eight hours a day, Hasan has become increasingly popular as more people are turning to the pl…
The Conspiracy of Campus Protests [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:46
Campus protests over the war in Gaza have been going on for months at American universities. Now that they're at an all-time high, protests been getting a lot more attention— and tons of disinformation and conspiracies a…