AI Generates 13% of Political Content in Israel's 2024 Election Campaigns
A new monitoring project led by the Open University has revealed that over 1,100 pieces of political content published during Israel's current election campaign were created using artificial intelligence (AI), accounting for approximately 13% of all content posted by parties and politicians on social media platforms. The Likud party leads this trend, responsible for 70% of AI-generated content amid its ongoing primaries.
The project, named "It's in AI," scans Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) accounts of politicians and parties to identify AI-generated images, videos, posts, and audio clips. It uses a multi-step verification process including platform labels, creator disclosures, AI detection systems, and human review. The initiative aims to increase transparency and help voters understand the growing role of AI in election propaganda, without passing judgment on the content itself.
Since July 28, a total of 8,611 posts were published, with 1,097 identified as partially or fully AI-generated. The highest daily use of AI content occurred recently, with 138 AI posts making up nearly 20% of that day's output. Facebook is the leading platform for AI content (32%), followed by Instagram (30%), X (20%), and TikTok (18%). Most AI content consists of videos (76%), with the rest being images.
Among politicians, Ariel Kallner of Likud stands out, responsible for 16% of all AI content alone, followed by Hanoch Milwitsky, Dudi Amsalem, and Avichai Boaron, all from Likud. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also used AI in 20 posts since July 28, including AI-generated images and enhanced interview clips. The widespread use of AI reflects both budget constraints and the technology's ability to subtly enhance or create political messaging.
The project is funded by the Shmager Center for Digital Law and Innovation and the Safra Center for Ethics at Tel Aviv University, with support from Israeli company Bright Data. Researchers emphasize the importance of public tools to maintain election integrity and foster critical media literacy as AI becomes increasingly embedded in political communication. The complexity of hybrid content, mixing authentic and AI-generated elements, poses challenges for voters trying to discern the nature of political messages.
