I believe AI will not enhance the spread of misinformation.

The Impact of AI on Disinformation: A Closer Look

In recent discussions, many have expressed concern that artificial intelligence could exacerbate the spread of misinformation and disinformation online. The fear is that AI’s capacity to generate large volumes of content might flood digital spaces with unreliable information, making it more challenging for users to discern truth from falsehood.

However, I believe this worry may be overstated. To understand this, consider the nature of our social media consumption. Whether scrolling through TikTok or browsing other platforms, most users typically view around 100 to 150 short-form videos in a session. Introducing AI-generated content into this mix doesn’t necessarily increase the quantity of content we consume—it simply alters the source, not the volume.

Moreover, the vast majority of disinformation has historically been created by humans at an enormous scale. The addition of AI-produced content may diversify the forms it takes, but it doesn’t fundamentally increase the amount of false information we encounter. In practice, my media intake, which includes a mix of entertainment—cat videos, viral fails, political commentary, and miscellaneous clips—remains largely consistent over time, regardless of AI’s involvement.

Our brains tend to filter and prioritize content based on interest and entertainment value, rather than on the veracity of the information. Consequently, it’s unlikely that AI-generated disinformation significantly changes what we see or believe, especially within the current consumption patterns.

That said, some subtle tactics—such as edited clips or manipulated videos—are more insidious and harder to detect than outright lies. For example, a clip of a politician edited to suggest something they never said can be more convincing and less obviously deceptive than a blatantly false statement. These formats can embed disinformation into the content we consume without appearing overtly false.

The main concern with AI-generated doctored media is the proliferation of realistic-looking fake clips of public figures. However, considering the overwhelming influx of disinformation already circulating and the typical ways we consume media, it seems unlikely that AI will drastically amplify the issue in a meaningful way. The challenge remains more about how we, as consumers, critically evaluate content rather than the mere presence of AI-produced misinformation.

What are your thoughts on this? Will AI significantly influence the landscape of misinformation, or are existing consumption habits resilient enough to withstand these new tools?