At the beginning of the year, there were significant concerns about generative AI being used to disrupt global elections through propaganda and disinformation. However, by year’s end, Meta reported that these fears largely did not materialize on its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, as the technology had minimal impact.
Meta based its findings on content from major elections in countries such as the U.S., Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, the EU, France, the U.K., South Africa, Mexico, and Brazil.
“Although there were confirmed or suspected cases of AI misuse, the volume remained low. Our existing policies and procedures effectively minimized risks associated with generative AI content,” the company stated in a blog post. It added that AI-generated content related to elections, politics, and social issues accounted for less than 1% of all misinformation flagged during these elections.
Meta highlighted that its Imagine AI tool rejected 590,000 image requests related to President-elect Trump, Vice President-elect Vance, Vice President Harris, Governor Walz, and President Biden in the lead-up to election day, aiming to prevent the creation of deepfake election content.
The company also observed that networks attempting to spread propaganda or disinformation made only minor advancements using generative AI. Meta emphasized that its focus on account behavior, rather than content alone, allowed it to effectively dismantle such covert influence campaigns, regardless of whether AI was involved.
Additionally, Meta disclosed that it had disrupted around 20 new covert influence operations worldwide to counter foreign interference. Most of these networks lacked genuine audiences and relied on fake likes and followers to inflate their apparent popularity.
Meta also criticized other platforms, noting that misleading videos about the U.S. election, linked to Russian influence campaigns, frequently appeared on X and Telegram.
“As we reflect on this extraordinary year, we will continue reviewing our policies and announce updates in the coming months,” Meta concluded.