The U.S. election encounters AI fake news challenges! Blockchain becomes a protective weapon, can it enhance credibility?

The proliferation of fake information has led to a Crisis of Confidence in global elections.

The year 2024 is being called the "year of elections," with over 60 countries including the United States, India, and Taiwan holding major leadership elections. However, these elections are taking place against the backdrop of rapid technological change, making issues of power and trust particularly prominent. With declining trust in public institutions, rapid advancements in generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology, and the increasing influence of social media, the integrity of elections and the legitimacy of democratic processes are facing unprecedented challenges.

Recently, although AI-generated media content has not yet clearly influenced any election results this year, this trend is clearly becoming more significant. Garrett Kinsman, co-founder of Nodle, pointed out that in the past year and a half, the number of created images has exceeded the total generated in the history of photography, and this growth is not linear. He emphasized that with the further development of AI technology, it will become almost impossible to distinguish truth from falsehood in a political context.

Image source: During this year's Taiwan election, the internet is flooded with all kinds of false propaganda information.

Block chain and Decentralization technologies provide solutions

In the face of this reality, pioneers in the blockchain, distributed systems, and cryptography industries such as Nodle are proposing solutions for Decentralization to help consumers better understand the content they see. This dynamic is particularly concerning in the context of elections and democratic processes. Earlier this year, India saw the emergence of a deepfake video featuring Bollywood star Aamir Khan, urging people to vote against the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party. Similarly, in 2023, the campaign team of Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis used a deepfake image of former President Trump embracing Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Image source: NPR Ron DeSantis' campaign team once used a deepfake image of former President Trump embracing Anthony Fauci.

John Paul Farmer, former Chief Technology Officer of New York City, said that although there has been no widespread concern about AI-driven fake news during this U.S. election cycle, so-called 'cheapfakes'—selectively edited content that doesn't require generative AI tools—are still highly deceptive to audiences. He emphasized, 'This could be content that someone easily created in PowerPoint or Photoshop, and if it triggers people's emotions, causing anger or excitement, it can achieve the desired effect.'

Enhanced credibility, Decentralization technology has great potential

To combat fake and misleading content, some propose to restrict heavily modified images and content in political activities. However, Farmer argues that such a position overlooks crucial nuances. He explains, 'What does 'unmodified' mean? This definition is crucial because even when I take a photo with an iPhone, it is not actually what it appears to be. It has already undergone various forms of enhancement.'

Experts argue that combining blockchain and other native Decentralization technologies can help improve public trust in the electoral process in the information overload online environment. For example, new blockchain-based applications like Numbers Protocol's Capture App and Nodle's Click provide journalists and citizens with cryptographic verification and authentication tools for election-related media content. By generating unique identifiers for digital media, recording metadata and ownership, tracking changes, and maintaining them in a decentralized manner, users can verify the authenticity of the content they see.

Image source: Numbers Protocol Numbers Protocol can generate unique identifiers for digital media, making it easy for users to verify the authenticity of the content they see.

Although these initiatives should currently be viewed as concept verifications, the method of content certification and verification of this decentralization is expected to become more common. Farmer emphasizes that the participatory element, the power of the crowd, which many decentralized technologies possess, may be the most powerful. Through the participation of the crowd, ensuring fair elections, enhancing transparency, and simplifying the audit of election results and adjudication of fraud charges.

Further Reading Interfering in the U.S. election! Russia, Iran, and China are using AI to meddle, how to prevent it? Will AI Make Democracy a Scam? Why Did Musk's Statement 'Electronic Voting Should be Cancelled' Spark Heated Discussions in Various Countries? AI Deepfake technology is rampant! It has caused online panic and rumors, can Blockchain solve the problem?