How to tell if a political ad or message is a deepfake

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and AI-edited political ads are already circulating. The most useful habit for voters is simple: if a message tells you something about where or how to vote, confirm it with your state's board of elections before you click or act.

What is happening

Generative AI means tools that create realistic images, video and audio from a short prompt. They have improved so much that telling real from fake by eye is now close to impossible. Campaigns and groups have spent more than $16 million on AI political ads this year, according to a CNN analysis. Some carried disclosures about AI use and some did not.

Examples include ads that gave Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff AI cosmetic procedures and one that made it look like Texas Senate candidate James Talarico had defaced a Bible. All 435 House seats and 33 Senate seats are on the ballot, along with many state and local races.

Why it matters

The risk is not only misleading ads. In the 2024 presidential primary, many New Hampshire voters got calls with an AI copy of Joe Biden's voice urging them not to vote. The Biden campaign did not sanction it. AI robocalls are illegal, and the Democratic consultant behind it was charged with voter suppression and fined $6 million. AI has improved since then.

How to check what you see

Obvious flaws, like hands with seven fingers, are getting rare, so spotting fakes by eye is less reliable. Online verification sites can help. They scan a file's metadata, the hidden information stored inside it, for signs it was made with AI. They are not foolproof, but they should catch some fakes.

• Paid options exist, such as Pangram at $20 per month for individuals.
• Apple is adding a check called Reference Images, but only on its newest iPhone 18 Pro models.
• Any detector claiming a 100% success rate is not telling the truth.

What to do

Scammers try to stir up your emotions so you stop thinking clearly. If a text says your polling place changed and includes a link, do not tap it. Go to your state's board of elections website instead. The US Election Assistance Commission has a map of official contacts for each state. Vote.org can also help you find your ballot information.

For where a candidate stands, start with their campaign website and platform. It may not be entirely truthful, but it is better than a clip of unknown origin. Fact-checking sites such as Snopes.com can help sort out claims.

Planning ahead also helps. Many states began early voting in mid-October. Check your state's voter ID rules, look over your ballot in advance and research every candidate on it, not just the top races. If you hit problems at your polling place, the Election Protection Hotline is 866-687-8683.