While the 2025 federal election campaign has not seen widespread deep fakes or voter confusion as initially feared, experts caution Canadian voters to stay alert amid the growing use of AI in political campaigns. Although AI-generated content is not yet rampant on social media, Heidi Tworek, a Canada Research Chair for public policy at UBC, warns that such material might be circulating privately. The increasing use of AI tools in the election allows political parties to analyze vast amounts of data more efficiently and produce content like press releases at unprecedented speeds.
Despite limited instances of AI-driven misinformation so far, political strategist Kareem Allam highlights a greater risk from biased groups and influencers, particularly on platforms like YouTube and podcasts, which lack the editorial standards of traditional media outlets. The rapid spread of misinformation through these channels presents a significant challenge for fact-checkers, who must combat misleading narratives that are often shared faster than they can be disproven.
In addition to the rise of biased content, deep fakes and manipulated images of politicians, such as Mark Carney or Pierre Poilievre, continue to surface, creating confusion for voters. Tworek urges Canadians to report any misleading or altered content to the Canadian Digital Media Research Network.
A recent UBC study notes that while AI-generated content is not yet persuasive enough to sway voters, policymakers must remain vigilant to prevent potential long-term threats to democratic integrity.
Source: Swifteradio.com
