Poll: Quarter of Israelis Consider AI for Election Voting Decisions

A survey by the Israel Internet Association reveals that one in four Israelis are considering using artificial intelligence tools to help decide who to vote for in upcoming elections. This trend emerges amidst widespread exposure to misinformation and fake accounts online. The poll found that 71% of Israelis encountered false information or fake news related to elections, while 57% faced fake or impersonated accounts. Additionally, 48% reported seeing AI tools used to defame or abuse individuals.

Concerns about online violence stemming from political discourse are high, with 69% of the public expressing significant fear that election-related rhetoric could escalate into online violence, given the extensive exposure to false election information. There's a notable difference in exposure between Jewish and Arab Israelis; 74.5% of Jewish respondents reported encountering false election news frequently or occasionally, compared to 56.4% of Arab respondents.

In response to these findings, the Israel Internet Association has published a guide to combatting misinformation during elections. The guide advises voters to verify the source of information, rely on credible and approved sources, compare information across multiple outlets, and check publication dates and context. It also warns against the potential for AI to generate convincing but false information, including fabricated facts and sources.

The association highlighted that 25% of the general public are positively considering or intend to use AI or other online services for election decision-making. This figure stands at 22.2% among Jewish Israelis and 39.6% among Arab Israelis.

The association stressed that while AI can aid in learning and understanding issues, its outputs are not objective recommendations. AI answers may be based on outdated or incomplete information, mix fact with interpretation, omit crucial context, or even present fabricated sources. They advocate for using AI as a tool for research, comparison, and verification, rather than for direct decision-making, emphasizing the need to critically review and verify the sources AI relies upon.