The Rise of AI-Driven Misinformation

Language models, a type of AI system trained to produce original language, could be used by propagandists to generate a near limitless supply of original text with limited human effort, improving their ability to persuade unwitting voters, overwhelm online information environments, and personalize phishing emails. Governments, businesses, and civil society organizations should develop norms and policies for the use of AI-generated text, as well as techniques for figuring out the origin of a particular piece of text and whether it has been created using AI. Efforts by journalists and researchers to uncover fake social media accounts and fake news websites can also limit the reach of covert propaganda campaigns—regardless of whether the content is human or AI-written.