Most people worry about deepfakes — and overestimate their ability to detect them
The Rise of artificial intelligence reproduction (Next-generation AI) is impacting elections around the world and making consumers nervous.
Singapore, Mexico, the United States and the United Kingdom are all holding general elections this year — and voters are worried they won’t be able to determine deepfake – deep fake. According to one report released by digital identity management provider Jumio, most consumers are concerned about the potential of AI and deepfakes influence upcoming elections.
Conducted in late March, the study surveyed a total of 8,077 respondents, about 2,000 from each of the four countries. The United Kingdom held its general election earlier this month, while Mexico held its last month. The United States will hold its presidential election in November, and Singapore is expected to hold its general election later this year or by November 2025 at the latest.
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The study found that 72% of respondents worried on a daily basis that they could be fooled by a deepfake, with those in Mexico and Singapore feeling the most worried at 89% and 88%, respectively. Meanwhile, 57% in the UK and 55% in the US said they had the same concerns.
About 60% of respondents believe they have encountered a deepfake in the past year, while 22% are unsure whether they have. Only 15% said they have not encountered a deepfake.
Despite concerns that they could be fooled by a deepfake, 60% believe they can spot one. That’s up 8% from last year, Jumio said. Respondents in Singapore were the most confident at 77%, compared to 58% in the United States, 54% in Mexico, and 53% in the United Kingdom.
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Specifically, 46% of respondents globally believe they can identify a deepfake of a politician. Singaporeans are most confident in each country at 60%, followed by Mexico at 51%, the United States at 37%, and the United Kingdom at 33%.
Globally, 71% said they were more skeptical of online political content than they were before the last election – although 43% of respondents said they trusted the political news they saw online, despite the potential to encounter fake news.
When asked if they agreed that government AI legislation is not effective enough, 60% said yes. Singaporeans were the most likely to agree, with the highest percentage of all four countries at 67%, compared to the lowest at 53% in the UK.
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However, respondents in Singapore expressed the greatest confidence in their government’s ability to manage AI, at 69%. Meanwhile, only 26% in the UK had confidence in their government’s ability to manage AI, along with 31% in the US and 44% in Mexico.
“With half the global population voting this year, the potential influence and impact of generative AI and deepfakes demands our immediate attention,” said Robert Prigge, CEO of Jumio. speak. “Public trust in online information is crumbling, requiring a transparent discussion to confront this challenge and empower citizens with the tools to discern and report deepfake content.”
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Prigge added that online platforms have a “critical responsibility” to deploy detection measures, such as biometric-based multi-modal verification systems, to combat deepfakes that could potentially influence elections.
Jumio noted that social media platforms in Indonesia have been posting fake content ahead of the country’s February elections, including videotapes depicting the late former president Suharto in favor of the incumbent. The cybersecurity provider added that Singapore is considering a temporary ban on political deepfakes in the run-up to the election, while South Korea has imposed a 90-day ban on the use of deepfakes in political campaign content.
