by Markus Neuvonen, Senior MIL/DIL specialist at FaktaBaari
Introduction
This article builds on insights from an expert event held in October 2024 in Helsinki, organized by Faktabaari (FI) as part of the EU-CERV funded project Immune 2 Infodemic 2. The event brough together participants from governments, media, security agencies and academia to establish a shared understanding of AI-enhanced disinformation and to promote cross-sector collaboration in mitigating societal harms.
The article outlines the primary risks and challenges posed by AI-enhanced disinformation, highlighting the urgency of coordinated responses and regulatory measures across sectors and governance levels. With the rapid development of AI technologies, these systems have become increasingly embedded in the information ecosystem, they accelerate the production and spread of disinformation, undermining democratic resilience, public trust, and shared epistemic foundations. Six key areas are explored in the article: declining trust in institutions, hyper-targeted disinformation, unaccountable tech governance, media literacy fragility, regulatory gaps, and cognitive security.
The current situation of AI and disinformation
This topic is approached from three different viewpoints—security, media, and democracy. The analysis explores six overarching thematic areas:
- Degradation of Trust and Information Reliability: AI technologies facilitate low-cost, large-scale dissemination of disinformation, exacerbating societal polarization and undermining public trust in institutions. This trend impacts democratic processes, consumer trust, and corporate decision-making, with rising concerns about deliberate market manipulations.
- Emerging Risks of AI-Driven Disinformation: AI enables hyper-localized, microtargeted disinformation campaigns, deepfake usage in fraud and political manipulation, and the creation of AI “experts” and influencers. Large Language Models (LLMs) face significant vulnerabilities, particularly regarding the potential corruption of their training data.
- Digital Power and Corporate Ethics Tech: Corporations' opaque practices and global reach limit governmental oversight. Their role in amplifying microtargeting during elections and collaborating with undemocratic regimes poses threats to democratic values and data privacy.
- Media Literacy Education and Public Resilience Strengthening: Media literacy and MIL education across all demographics is critical for combating the effects of disinformation. Education systems must prioritize critical thinking and information evaluation skills. Countries such as Norway and Estonia offer best practice examples of integrated approaches to digital literacy. The Faktabaari Digital Information Literacy (DIL) model also serves as a promising framework for building societal resilience.
- AI Regulation and Policy Participants: Proactive, human-centric regulatory frameworks are urgently needed, particularly on the EU level. Key concerns include the misuse of AI for illicit purposes and the absence of safeguards to prevent violations of ethical norms. Policy efforts must anticipate technological developments and embed accountability mechanisms from the outset.
- Cognitive Security: AI tools risk distorting shared realities by contributing to information overload, weakening critical thinking, and enabling targeted psychological manipulation. These effects pose long-term risks to democratic governance and individual cognitive autonomy, demanding both policy and societal responses to safeguard mental and civic integrity.