Beyond the deepfake hype: AI, democracy, and “the Slovak case”

Abstract

Was the 2023 Slovakia election the first swung by deepfakes? Did the victory of a pro-Russian candidate, following the release of a deepfake allegedly depicting election fraud, herald a new era of disinformation? Our analysis of the so-called “Slovak case” complicates this narrative, highlighting critical factors that made the electorate particularly susceptible to pro-Russian disinformation. Moving beyond the deepfake’s impact on the election outcome, this case raises important yet under-researched questions regarding the growing use of encrypted messaging applications in influence operations, misinformation effects in low-trust environments, and politicians’ role in amplifying misinformation––including deepfakes.