I am convinced that AI will not play a role in amplifying disinformation.

Will Artificial Intelligence Really Worsen the Disinformation Crisis? A Closer Look

In recent discussions, many have expressed concern that advancements in artificial intelligence might exponentially increase the spread of false information. The fear is that AI’s ability to generate large quantities of content could flood social media with inaccurate or misleading material, making it harder to discern truth from fiction.

It’s true that AI can produce a vast volume of data points, much like the flood of content we see daily across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. Analyzing this landscape, it appears evident that the prevalence of AI-generated content is growing rapidly, which could imply more disinformation in the near future.

However, I’d like to challenge this assumption. Imagine you and I each pick up our phones and spend some time scrolling through our favorite short-form video apps. Regardless of AI involvement, the total number of videos we watch tends to hover around a similar range—say, 100 to 150 clips. Whether these videos are created by humans or AI doesn’t significantly alter this number.

While the volume of content has increased, the overall consumption pattern remains relatively stable. The quantity of disinformation circulating has always been enormous, generated continuously by human creators over decades. This existing flood of falsehoods is so vast that adding more—even if produced by AI—doesn’t substantially change the amount we encounter in our daily media intake.

Most people tend to view content that they find engaging—be it cat videos, comedic fails, emotional stories, or political commentary. Our consumption habits don’t necessarily shift because some content is AI-produced; our filters remain largely the same. Therefore, the proportion of misinformation we encounter doesn’t necessarily increase proportionally with the total volume of content.

Additionally, AI-generated disinformation often takes subtler forms—like edited clips or contextually manipulated videos—rather than blatant lies. For example, a doctored video featuring a celebrity or politician might appear convincing without outright fabrication. Yet, given the overwhelming scale of existing misinformation, such nuanced manipulations might not significantly intensify the problem.

In essence, the main challenge isn’t just the amount of disinformation but how people consume and process it. The formats AI uses—short clips, meme-like content, quick impressions—are inherently suited to both entertainment and subtle misinformation. But unless consumption habits radically change, the impact of AI in escalating disinformation may not be as profound as feared.

What are your thoughts? Will AI truly make misinformation exponentially worse, or is this concern