AI-Powered Disinformation Swarms Threaten the Future of Democracy

New York: We are entering a new kind of information war on social media. Jonas Kunst, a communication professor, says that old methods using bots won’t work anymore. Instead, many AI chatbots might team up to create fake grassroots support. Nina Jankowicz, who used to fight disinformation for the Biden administration, warns this could be a scary future, like Russian troll farms taken to the next level.

Researchers think it’s hard to tell if this tactic is being used right now because current detection methods can’t spot these clever systems. Kunst notes that these AI tools can mimic humans very well, making them hard to catch. With restrictions on social media access, it’s tough to know what’s really happening behind the scenes.

Though these AI systems might not change the 2026 US midterms much, they will likely be used more in the 2028 presidential election. Being able to map social networks lets those spreading fake news target specific groups better than before.

These AI swarms can learn from how people respond to their posts, making them even more effective over time. Researchers suggest creating an “AI Influence Observatory.” This would help groups work together to watch out for these threats without relying on social media companies, which may not be interested in stopping these swarms since higher engagement is good for business.

Experts fear that without action from social media platforms or governments, these AI swarms could soon become a reality. “People might leave these platforms if they can’t trust what they see,” Kunst says. He worries that platforms would rather keep quiet to keep engagement high, even if it means ignoring potential dangers posed by these AI systems.