From Zeteo
Deepfakes, AI and the Battle for Democracy
This film ‘The Fake Mayor’ is a timely, urgent exploration of AI-driven disinformation and its impact on democracy, using the 2024 London mayoral election and the deepfake attack on Sadiq Khan as a focal point. Set in a year marked by calls for democratic renewal, the film is a stark warning that if a global major city like London cannot defend itself from AI-generated disinformation, then no election or nation is safe. The short film also shows how bad actors can easily and inexpensively use Islamophobia and xenophobia to create friction and destabilize society.
The film connects these themes to the US and other elections as well as recent British riots, underscoring how unregulated social media and AI continue to escalate political violence and deepen social divides.
With references to past election manipulation as seen in “The Great Hack,” the story highlights the ongoing vulnerabilities to democracy caused by algorithm-fueled polarization and tech company indifference.
The central message of the film, “online violence is real-world violence,” urges viewers to consider the true costs of digital warfare, with a warning about the potential for rising political violence in the near future.
‘The Fake Mayor’ is brought to you by the team that made the Netflix documentary ‘The Great Hack’ that elevated the story of disinformation, Cambridge Analytica and the vulnerabilities that social media companies had inflicted upon society.
Professor Hany Farid and Ph.D. student Sarah Barrington provide commentary of the subject (beginning at 3:19).
Hany Farid is a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences and the School of Information at UC Berkeley. He specializes in digital forensics.
