Webinar: Safeguarding Elections from AI-Driven Disinformation Threats

Election security experts are sounding the alarm. Narrative attacks created by misinformation and disinformation are growing more sophisticated and reshaping elections worldwide. As millions of voters vote this year, election officials and technologists are racing against time to safeguard the democratic process from online falsehoods.

A recent Blackbird.AI webinar hosted by Carahsoft tackled this urgent challenge. The panelists included:

• David Ferris, Head of Government Sales, Blackbird.AI
• Jeremy Keller, the Information Security Officer of LA County Registrar
• Daniel Prieto, Co-Director, AI + Election Security Coalition
• Dr. Andrea Hickerson, Director of the National Center for Narrative Intelligence, Ole Miss

With over 75 national elections in 2024, misinformation and disinformation threats are escalating globally, exacerbated by advances in AI technology. At a recent Blackbird.AI webinar, experts emphasized the urgent need for robust election security strategies that leverage AI-driven tools and public education to combat the evolving landscape of cognitive warfare. These tactics—weaponizing false narratives to manipulate and polarize public opinion—threaten to destabilize democracies unless countered by collaborative, cross-sector efforts and transparent, proactive measures.

WEBINAR: Safeguarding Democracy Combating Misinformation and Disinformation in an Election Year

Digital Threats to Democracy: Understanding the Scope

Misinformation vs. Disinformation:

Misinformation is the unintentional spread of false information, whereas disinformation is a deliberate attempt to deceive. This distinction is essential, as intentionally manipulating information can harm democratic institutions by eroding public trust and fostering division.

• The Scale of the Threat in 2024: As 4 billion people head to the polls this year, disinformation campaigns are increasingly sophisticated. Russia’s influence operations in Africa and deepfake technologies being used in the Indian elections underscore the global reach and complexity of this problem.

Cognitive Warfare: How Misinformation Manipulates Minds

• The Power of Narrative Attacks: Blackbird.AI refers to manipulating public perception as “cognitive warfare,” where disinformation is weaponized to sway emotions, manipulate beliefs, and polarize societies. These tactics exploit social media’s rapid information-sharing capabilities to embed false narratives deeply within public discourse.

• AI’s Role in Spreading Disinformation: Advanced AI models can now generate realistic text, images, and videos, enabling disinformation at an unprecedented scale. As deepfakes and synthetic media become more challenging to detect, malicious actors can fabricate convincing but false narratives more easily.

Election Security Strategies: Proactive Measures and Technology

• Real-Time Monitoring and Rapid Response: Los Angeles County’s Jeremy Keller described how his team actively monitors social media for misinformation, engaging in real-time to correct false narratives. This hands-on approach has proven essential in maintaining trust and transparency during elections.

• AI-Enhanced Detection Tools: Blackbird.AI’s Constellation platform warns government agencies of potential narrative threats early. Constellation can identify emerging disinformation campaigns by monitoring diverse data sources, proactively allowing agencies to counteract harmful narratives.

Trust and Safety: Building Resilience through Public Awareness

• The Need for Public Education and Media Literacy: Dr. Andrea Hickerson from the University of Mississippi stressed the importance of narrative intelligence—understanding how stories, rather than isolated facts, shape beliefs. Effective public education campaigns can empower individuals to evaluate the information they encounter critically.

Transparency and Community Engagement:

Los Angeles County exemplifies transparency in election management by offering live feeds of ballot processing and inviting public observation. These measures aim to rebuild trust by demystifying the electoral process.

Future Outlook: Preparing for Tomorrow’s Disinformation Tactics

• Challenges Ahead with AI-Driven Disinformation:

As AI evolves, experts anticipate increasing the scale and sophistication of disinformation. Future elections may see even more targeted narrative attacks, exploiting AI’s ability to customize messages based on behavioral data for specific audiences.

• The Role of Regulation and Cross-Sector Collaboration:

Panelists advocated for stronger regulations and partnerships between the public and private sectors. Collaborative efforts, such as Blackbird.AI’s partnerships with cybersecurity organizations, help pool resources and expertise to tackle the disinformation threat head-on.

The Way Forward

Here are seven key takeaways for organizational leaders from the Blackbird.AI webinar on combating misinformation and disinformation in elections:

Distinguish Between Misinformation and Disinformation: Leaders must understand that misinformation is often accidental, while disinformation is deliberately deceiving. Recognizing this distinction is crucial in tailoring response strategies and mitigating potential damage to public trust.

Leverage AI for Early Threat Detection: Advanced AI tools like Blackbird.AI’s Constellation platform can help organizations monitor and detect disinformation campaigns early. This proactive approach allows leaders to address narrative threats before they escalate, safeguarding organizational integrity.

Promote Transparency and Build Trust: Transparent practices, such as real-time monitoring and public observation opportunities, are effective ways to reinforce public trust in processes. Leaders should adopt transparency as a guiding principle to counteract false narratives.

Invest in Public Education and Media Literacy: Media literacy is essential in building resilience against disinformation. Leaders should support educational initiatives that help the public critically assess information, reducing the impact of false narratives.

Foster Cross-Sector Collaboration: Disinformation is a complex issue that requires collaboration across public, private, and academic sectors. Engaging with diverse stakeholders enables organizations to share resources, insights, and strategies for combating shared threats.

Stay Ahead of AI-Driven Disinformation Threats: With AI advancements making deepfakes and other synthetic media harder to detect, leaders must be vigilant about emerging technologies and incorporate AI-enhanced tools to counteract these sophisticated threats.

Support Legislative Measures and Regulatory Compliance: Leaders should advocate for and comply with evolving regulations that address AI-generated disinformation. Collaborating with policymakers helps ensure these laws keep pace with technology and provide a framework for mitigating narrative threats.

Leaders must leverage narrative intelligence technology, support public education, and engage across sectors to build resilience against the evolving tactics of cognitive warfare. Governments and organizations can mitigate these narrative threats by staying adaptable and adopting narrative intelligence solutions to help safeguard the democratic process.

To learn how Blackbird.AI detects narrative attacks through narrative intelligence, book a demo.