To say that Reality Defender spent years preparing for a “deepfake election” is an understatement. In 2020, while still a non-profit organization called Reality Defender 2020, our then-small team had pulled out all the stops possible in case the 2020 Election was the “deepfake election.” (It was not.)

Since then, the world has learned about the innumerable wonders and horrors of generative AI. This, in turn, led to an expansion in both major political deepfake events and subsequent education on what is, is not, or might be a deepfake (and related confusion). This brought us into 2024, where a sizable double digit percentage of the world is voting in a major election — including the coming 2024 United States Presidential Election.

We are finally in the thick of the “deepfake election,” and even with four more years of preparation, our electoral systems, our media, and our democracy are still woefully unprepared.

Tracking the Next 40 Days

Though we are still a small team (comparatively speaking), the Reality Defender team is nonetheless in the weeds tracking deepfake-driven incidents related to the upcoming election. The bulk of these can be found in our Deepfake News Center, which also tracks developments and various ills in the world of deepfakes and generative AI. We offer this News Center as a free resource to all in the hopes of raising awareness on the ever-evolving threat of deepfakes and generative AI.

Additionally, we will report on major incidents involving all parties involved on LinkedIn and Breaking News emails. Myself and our research team will provide rapid-response insights into these incidents, how they could be prevented in the future, and what they mean for deepfake use and abuse in the real world. We’ll also show how the Reality Defender platform uncovered the media to be fake, while explaining what others can do going forward.

Make no mistake: the rise of political AI incidents will not simply go away over the next forty days. Myself and my team are working around the clock to address them as they happen. For our clients. For a greater understanding of truth. Most importantly, for a free and fair election.