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How Latinos can avoid election misinformation

Marina E. Franco

Axios

Nov 4, 2024

Election experts are warning bad actors may use artificial intelligence to deter Latinos from voting on Tuesday.

Why it matters: This election, in which the Latino vote could be decisive in several swing states, is the first in which AI tools have been readily available to many people.

State of play: Election officials in heavily Latino states like Arizona have already expressed concerns about use of deep fakes.

  • The FBI in the past weeks has debunkedvideos that circulated widely on social media showing mail-in ballots being allegedly destroyed.
  • The FBI says these were manufactured by Russian actors. What they're saying: "This election, anyone can create misinformation from their laptop at home," says Susan Gonzales, founder and CEO of the nonprofit AI and You.
  • "The Latino vote here is more important than ever historically, and our community needs to understand that this is why we are prime for misinformation, to sway our votes or to keep us from voting," she adds.
  • Gonzales says someone could create realistic looking social media ads or posts showing an alleged fire or problem at a certain polling station, to disincentivize people from voting there.
  • She says the same tools could be used after polls close to sow confusion about the vote count.