Deepfakes and AI-Generated Disinformation: A Threat to Democracy in the 2026 Elections Tony T Williams 2026, Physical Education, Health, and Social Sciences

https://www.academia.edu/176098827/Deepfakes_and_AI_Generated_Disinformation_A_Threat_to_Democracy_in_the_2026_Elections?rhid=42958255804&swp=rr-rw-wc-176149436&nav_from=ea0d4c2f-e5fc-4405-bdc6-01ba3c0199f2 Since 2024, the dissemination of electoral disinformation has been radically changed by the rapid emergence of affordable, easy-to-use generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools that can create believable-looking images, audio, and video of candidates and public figures saying or doing things that never actually happened. This paper draws upon recent academic research, government reports, and investigative reporting mostly from the past two years to explore the impact deepfakes and AI-generated disinformation pose to democratic processes as they enter the 2026 election cycle. The paper, based on case studies from the United States,