1A 'If You Can Keep It': A.I. And Our Democracy
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Feb 16, 2026 
Inga Trotick, a research professor studying political effects of emerging tech, and Imran Ahmed, CEO fighting online hate and misinformation, discuss AI-driven bot swarms, AI-generated images and manipulated footage, how concentrated bot activity games platform algorithms, and the incentives and actors that make AI-amplified disinformation cheap and powerful.
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Bot Swarms Surf Algorithms
- Large bot swarms can game platform algorithms by creating sheer volume and trending hashtags.
- That amplification pushes targeted content above other information, shaping public attention quickly.
AI Lowers Cost And Raises Impact Of Lies
- AI reduces the cost of producing persuasive disinformation to near zero and enables self-improving campaigns.
- This creates perpetual, personalized misinformation machines that exploit human negativity bias and platform engagement algorithms.
Opaque Platforms Prevent Accountability
- Platforms operate as opaque black boxes, resisting scrutiny and transparency rules.
- Lack of transparency blocks accountability and conceals how algorithms manipulate what billions see.