I don’t think AI is going to make disinformation worse.

Will Artificial Intelligence Really Amplify Disinformation? A Critical Perspective

In recent conversations about the evolution of digital content, a common worry is that AI will exponentially increase the spread of false information. Many believe that as AI tools become more sophisticated, they will facilitate the creation of vast quantities of misleading or outright false content, flooding social media platforms and making it harder for users to discern truth from fiction.

However, this perspective warrants a nuanced examination. Consider the typical user behavior: if you and I pick up our phones and spend a set amount of time scrolling through TikTok or similar platforms, we tend to view roughly 100 to 150 short videos within that session. Whether the content is AI-generated or human-made, the volume of information we consume in a sitting remains relatively constant. The key point is that increasing the amount of AI-produced content doesn’t necessarily lead us to encounter more disinformation than we already do.

Historically, humans have generated enormous volumes of misinformation independently. Over the years, the sheer scale and variety of content—some accurate, some misleading—have overwhelmed our capacity to process truth and falsehood alike. The addition of AI-driven content, while technically increasing the volume, doesn’t fundamentally alter the proportion or the nature of what we see. Our perceptions are shaped more by our consumption habits and content preferences than by the absolute amount of disinformation.

Furthermore, the formats that popular platforms leverage—short clips, memes, quick edits—are inherently susceptible to subtle disinformation tactics. For example, doctored videos or snippets of celebrities and politicians saying things they never did are becoming more prevalent. Still, such manipulated content often blends into the broader media landscape, making it hard for viewers to distinguish between genuine and fabricated material. The impact of these manipulations might be more insidious than overt lies, but they don’t necessarily change the overall volume of disinformation that individuals are exposed to regularly.

In essence, the proliferation of AI-generated content might refine or slightly alter the nature of misinformation rather than amplify it to catastrophic levels. Our media consumption patterns, combined with the types of content that algorithms favor, tend to filter and present information in familiar ways—whether AI-produced or not.

While concerns about AI-fueled disinformation are valid, especially regarding doctored videos and manipulative content, the overall effect on the information landscape might be less drastic than initially feared. The fundamental dynamics of content consumption, human cognition, and media formats still play a significant role in shaping our exposure.

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