Quarter of Israelis may use AI to decide how to vote, survey finds
A quarter of Israelis are considering using artificial intelligence to help decide how they will vote in the upcoming election, while widespread exposure to online disinformation is raising concerns about manipulation and political violence, a survey found.
The survey, conducted by the Geocartography Group for the Israel Internet Association and released on Sunday, found that 25% of respondents said they were considering or intended to use AI or another online service to help make their voting decision.
Elections are scheduled for Oct. 27.
At the same time, 71% said they had encountered false election-related information frequently or occasionally. Only about 15% said they had not encountered such information.
Fake or impersonating accounts were also widespread, with 56.8% reporting that they encountered them frequently or occasionally. Nearly half, 48.2%, said they had encountered AI being used to harm or defame someone, while another 25.6% said they had encountered such use rarely.
Concern over the potential impact of online political discourse was similarly high. About 69% said they were very or extremely concerned that the election campaign could lead to increased violence on social media and other digital platforms.
Exposure to election disinformation was reported across the political spectrum, with 73.3% of right-wing respondents saying they had encountered it frequently or occasionally, compared with 69.5% of centrists and 68.9% of left-wing respondents.
The association warned that disinformation, impersonation and abusive uses of AI have become part of the current online environment and could intensify during the campaign, potentially reinforcing one another.
It urged voters to verify who is behind information, favor authoritative sources, compare claims across multiple outlets and check publication dates and context.
The association also cautioned against treating AI chatbots as objective authorities. Such systems can provide useful tools for comparing party positions and researching issues, but may rely on outdated or incomplete information, confuse fact with interpretation, omit context or fabricate facts, quotations and sources.
The survey of 1,005 Israeli internet users aged 18+, in a representative sample of Israel’s Jewish and Arab population, has a margin of error of approximately ±3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
Get the latest updates in our WhatsApp group.
A recent survey by the Geocartography Group for the Israel Internet Association indicates that a quarter of Israelis are considering using artificial intelligence (AI) to inform their voting decisions for the upcoming October 27 election. The survey, which included 1,005 Israeli internet users, also revealed widespread exposure to online disinformation, with 71% of respondents reporting frequent or occasional encounters with false election-related information. Additionally, 56.8% encountered fake accounts, and 48.2% observed AI being used for defamation.
The association warned that disinformation, impersonation and abusive uses of AI have become part of the current online environment and could intensify during the campaign.
Concerns about increased online violence during the election campaign were high, with approximately 69% of respondents expressing significant worry. The Israel Internet Association advised voters to verify information sources, consult authoritative outlets, and exercise caution when using AI chatbots, noting that these systems can provide useful tools but may also present outdated, incomplete, or fabricated information.
© All rights to the original article belong to the source. Din Online shows a headline, an excerpt and a link only. The objectivity rating is computed automatically and is an estimate only.
Discussion
No comments yet — be the first to comment.