Description

Disinformation accelerated by AI is affecting democracies worldwide at an extraordinary pace. Governments overseas are wielding it against their own citizens. Meanwhile closer to home, perceptions of AI interference in elections have us questioning everything. It's an information war being fought on several fronts. We finally have some empirical data on this new phenomena. So, how do we safeguard our democracies from digital interference? ------------ GUEST: Dr Constanza Sanhueza, researcher and senior lecturer in political science at ANU. This is the second of Global Roaming's mini series on misinformation and disinformation. Hamish's documentary is called A Matter of Facts, and will be released on iView on Tuesday 24th March 2026. Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at global.roaming@abc.net.au Find all the episodes of Global Roaming now via the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Summary

AI-accelerated disinformation poses a significant threat to democratic stability by enabling the rapid creation and dissemination of synthetic content. This interference facilitates an information war where adversarial actors and domestic governments can manipulate public perception, creating risks to societal cohesion and institutional trust. Dr. Constanza Sanhueza provides empirical data on this phenomenon, highlighting the urgent need for governance frameworks to safeguard elections against digital interference. The discussion emphasizes the localized impact on Australian democracy and the broader global challenge of maintaining information integrity in the age of frontier AI.

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