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
How Far-Right, Extremist Militias Organize On Facebook [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:36
Far-right militia, extremist groups are using Facebook to organize ahead of the US presidential election. After laying low for several years after the Capitol riot on January 6, militia extremists have been quietly reorg…
The TikTok Ultimatum Is Here [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:33
This might be the end of TikTok. President Joe Biden signed a bill this week which allows the US government to ban the platform if TikTok doesn't divest from it's China-based owner, ByteDance, within a year. Today on the…
RFK Jr.’s Very Online, Conspiracy-Filled Campaign [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:27
In the year since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. officially launched his presidential campaign, his extreme conspiracies and very online outreach tactics have added up to a pretty effective independent bid. Today on Wired Politic…
How Election Deniers Are Weaponizing Tech To Disrupt November [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:16
Election deniers are mobilizing their supporters and rolling out new tech to disrupt the November election. These groups are already organizing on hyperlocal levels, and learning to monitor polling places, target electio…
WIRED Politics Lab Trailer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:30
Politics has never been stranger – or more online. Each week on WIRED Politics Lab, our reporters guide you through the exciting, challenging and sometimes entertaining vortex of internet extremism, conspiracies, and dis…
New Podcast: WIRED Politics Lab [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:38
Politics has never been stranger – or more online. Each week on WIRED Politics Lab, our reporters guide you through the exciting, challenging and sometimes entertaining vortex of internet extremism, conspiracies, and dis…