Political communication in the age of artificial intelligence: an overview of deepfakes and their implications
Political communication in the age of artificial intelligence: an overview of deepfakes and their implications

Summary/Abstract: Rapid and significant advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have profound-ly shaped the current technological landscape, sparking extraordinary interest in aca-demia and beyond. Considered an unprecedented revolutionary technology, it has cap-tured the attention of researchers, scholars, and professionals from various disciplines as it offers transformative prospects in a wide range of fields. This technological progress has sparked a broad debate on its social, ethical, and economic impacts, raising import-ant questions that require in-depth and multidisciplinary investigations. AI thus emerg-es as an ever-evolving discipline with significant implications for the future of human progress. Besides being seen as an opportunity to pursue common societal goals, many observers have recognized the potential risks associated with such developments. Its in-tegration into the political context also presents a promising opportunity to enhance the efficiency of political decisions. However, its adoption raises significant challenges that require careful evaluation. This research aims to explore in detail the relationship be-tween AI and political communication, focusing on analysing AI’s usage in this context while highlighting the phenomenon of deepfakes, which jeopardize democratic stability and security in many cases. The importance of this research contribution lies in the con-text where AI is assuming an increasingly prominent role in communication dynamics, making it essential to fully understand the implications and potential consequences of AI application in the political field. Furthermore, it is crucial to assess whether such ini-tiatives can genuinely be considered democratic or if they could represent a dangerous trend towards the use of manipulative algorithms.

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