Neil I. Patel

In the meantime, we thought we'd reshare an explainer that's taken on a whole new relevance these last couple weeks. It's about deepfakes and misinformation. In February, I talked with Verge Policy Editor Addie Robertson about how the generative AI boom might start fueling a wave of election-related misinformation, especially AI-generated deepfakes and manipulated media.

At the time, the biggest news in AI fakes was a robocall with an AI version of Joe Biden's voice. It's been about six months, and while there hasn't been quite an apocalyptic AI free-for-all out there, the election itself took some pretty unexpected turns.

At the time, the biggest news in AI fakes was a robocall with an AI version of Joe Biden's voice. It's been about six months, and while there hasn't been quite an apocalyptic AI free-for-all out there, the election itself took some pretty unexpected turns.

At the time, the biggest news in AI fakes was a robocall with an AI version of Joe Biden's voice. It's been about six months, and while there hasn't been quite an apocalyptic AI free-for-all out there, the election itself took some pretty unexpected turns.

Now we're headed into the big, noisy homestretch before Election Day, and the use of AI is starting to get really weird and much more troublesome. Elon Musk's X has become the de facto platform for AI-generated misinformation, and Trump's campaign has also started to boost its own AI use.

Now we're headed into the big, noisy homestretch before Election Day, and the use of AI is starting to get really weird and much more troublesome. Elon Musk's X has become the de facto platform for AI-generated misinformation, and Trump's campaign has also started to boost its own AI use.

Now we're headed into the big, noisy homestretch before Election Day, and the use of AI is starting to get really weird and much more troublesome. Elon Musk's X has become the de facto platform for AI-generated misinformation, and Trump's campaign has also started to boost its own AI use.

For the most part, these AI stunts have been mostly for cheap laughs, unless Taylor Swift decides to sue the Trump campaign. But as you'll hear Addy and I talk about in this episode, there are not a lot of easy avenues to regulate this kind of media without running headlong into the First Amendment, especially when dealing with political commentary around public figures.

For the most part, these AI stunts have been mostly for cheap laughs, unless Taylor Swift decides to sue the Trump campaign. But as you'll hear Addy and I talk about in this episode, there are not a lot of easy avenues to regulate this kind of media without running headlong into the First Amendment, especially when dealing with political commentary around public figures.

For the most part, these AI stunts have been mostly for cheap laughs, unless Taylor Swift decides to sue the Trump campaign. But as you'll hear Addy and I talk about in this episode, there are not a lot of easy avenues to regulate this kind of media without running headlong into the First Amendment, especially when dealing with political commentary around public figures.

There's a lot going on here and a lot of very difficult problems to solve that haven't really changed since we last talked about it. Okay, AI deepfakes during the 2024 election. Here we go. Addie Robertson, how are you doing? Hi, good. You've been tracking this conversation for a very long time. It does seem like there's more nuance in the disinformation conversation than before.

There's a lot going on here and a lot of very difficult problems to solve that haven't really changed since we last talked about it. Okay, AI deepfakes during the 2024 election. Here we go. Addie Robertson, how are you doing? Hi, good. You've been tracking this conversation for a very long time. It does seem like there's more nuance in the disinformation conversation than before.

There's a lot going on here and a lot of very difficult problems to solve that haven't really changed since we last talked about it. Okay, AI deepfakes during the 2024 election. Here we go. Addie Robertson, how are you doing? Hi, good. You've been tracking this conversation for a very long time. It does seem like there's more nuance in the disinformation conversation than before.

It's not just Russia made people elect Trump, which is I think where we were in 2016. Can you just give a background? What's the shape of how people are thinking of disinformation right now?

It's not just Russia made people elect Trump, which is I think where we were in 2016. Can you just give a background? What's the shape of how people are thinking of disinformation right now?

It's not just Russia made people elect Trump, which is I think where we were in 2016. Can you just give a background? What's the shape of how people are thinking of disinformation right now?

So the platforms are getting tired of this is worth talking about for one second longer. There was a huge rush of how do we make ultra sophisticated content moderation systems? And I think the pinnacle of that rush was Facebook setting up its oversight board, which is effectively a Supreme court of content moderation decisions. And that was seen as, okay, Facebook is as big as a state.

So the platforms are getting tired of this is worth talking about for one second longer. There was a huge rush of how do we make ultra sophisticated content moderation systems? And I think the pinnacle of that rush was Facebook setting up its oversight board, which is effectively a Supreme court of content moderation decisions. And that was seen as, okay, Facebook is as big as a state.

So the platforms are getting tired of this is worth talking about for one second longer. There was a huge rush of how do we make ultra sophisticated content moderation systems? And I think the pinnacle of that rush was Facebook setting up its oversight board, which is effectively a Supreme court of content moderation decisions. And that was seen as, okay, Facebook is as big as a state.

It has the revenue of a state. It's a government now. It's going to have some government-like functions to regulate speech on its platforms. That didn't pan out, right? The oversight board exists. It moves very slowly. It's, I think, hard for the average Facebook user or average Instagram user to think there's a moderating force involved. on content moderation on this platform.