AI’s Dual Impact on Democracy: Amplifying Both Promise and Peril

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming information ecosystems worldwide, creating both unprecedented opportunities and significant threats to democratic processes. As the technology evolves, experts are increasingly concerned about its potential to undermine public trust and reshape political discourse.

“A lie travels halfway around the world before the truth can even get its shoes on,” goes the old saying. But in today’s AI-powered landscape, misinformation can circle the globe in seconds—long before facts even know they’ve left the building.

According to Colorado State University Associate Professor Hamed Qahri-Saremi, who researches computer information systems at the intersection of AI, online platforms and human behavior, artificial intelligence presents a complex paradox for democratic societies.

“With respect to misinformation or disinformation, there are positive and negative sides to AI,” Qahri-Saremi explains. “On the positive side, AI can really help to identify false or misleading content faster than anything else.”

This beneficial application is already visible on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Meta, which have implemented community notes and user-centered approaches to managing misleading content. These systems leverage AI to present factual information alongside questionable claims, potentially helping users identify falsehoods.

However, the technology simultaneously poses significant threats. “AI is designed to generate human-like content, so the more they advance, the better they can generate human-like information, which makes misinformation harder to detect, even for experts,” says Qahri-Saremi.

This challenge has intensified since 2021-2022, when generative AI tools became widely available. The technology now enables the creation of highly convincing misinformation that seamlessly blends fact and fiction—a particularly dangerous combination.

“The research on conspiracy theories shows that usually the most effective misinformation claims are the ones that have elements of truth in them,” Qahri-Saremi notes. “AI can be used very well to generate content that is very convincing, therefore more difficult for ordinary citizens to identify.”

The problem extends beyond domestic misinformation campaigns. Foreign adversaries are increasingly deploying AI-powered conversational bots as part of sophisticated disinformation operations. Countries like Russia and China have already utilized these technologies to influence elections, manipulate public opinion, and create realistic-seeming personas on social media platforms.

“With AI, we are already seeing these patterns, and moving forward it is going to probably get even worse as AI advances and becomes even more difficult to tell whether it is human,” warns Qahri-Saremi.

This technological evolution coincides with declining trust in traditional information gatekeepers. News organizations and other institutions face mounting challenges in maintaining credibility as AI-generated falsehoods proliferate. Even prestigious media outlets have inadvertently published AI hallucinations—fabricated information generated by AI systems—further undermining public confidence.

“When the expert and the news agency, whose job is really determining the veracity of information, falls for a falsehood that is generated by AI, that shows you how complex the situation is,” Qahri-Saremi observes.

The professor’s recent research has uncovered another concerning dynamic: AI’s ability to influence human moral decision-making through emotional manipulation. His studies show that when AI systems frame discriminatory recommendations using empathetic language, users become significantly more likely to accept those problematic decisions.

“Once you essentially use this empathetic language and AI is just expressing empathy but is still recommending a discrimination, the users become a little bit numb to that discrimination and accept the decision much more than when it is not expressed in empathy,” he explains.

Despite these challenges, AI also offers promising tools for strengthening democratic institutions. The technology can enhance election security by rapidly identifying anomalies, improve government responsiveness to citizens, and help lawmakers better understand the potential consequences of proposed legislation.

Addressing AI’s democratic challenges will require a multi-faceted approach. Qahri-Saremi emphasizes the importance of AI literacy—educating users about the technology’s capabilities, benefits, and risks. Policy solutions, such as requiring AI-generated content to be watermarked, also show promise.

“The EU has an AI policy that requires identification of the AI content on platforms. California has a bill that is being supported by the tech companies and many of the AI companies, including OpenAI, that essentially requires watermarking the AI content for the users,” he notes.

As society navigates this technological transformation, Qahri-Saremi describes AI as an amplifier of existing human tendencies—both positive and negative. “Technology just reinforces things. You have good and bad, and now AI tools can make the good much, much better and stronger, and it can make the bad really terrible.”

This paradox defines our current moment, requiring thoughtful approaches from researchers, policymakers, and citizens to maximize benefits while mitigating risks to democratic institutions and processes.