As many countries, including South Africa and a highly divided US, prepare for elections in 2024, there is concern that Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools could be used to spread disinformation. Ahead of the recent Republican primary in New Hampshire a ‘deepfake’ audio message purporting to be US President Joe Biden urged voters to “Save your vote for the November elections”, even though voting in a primary cannot preclude a voter participating in the presidential elections. While obviously fake, it heightened fears that AI-powered video and image generators could well be used for political gain this year. Photograph: Bloomberg