Unusual warning ahead of the elections: "We must not rely on this with closed eyes"

A comprehensive survey by the Israel Internet Association ahead of the elections reveals disturbing findings: about a quarter of Israelis are considering using artificial intelligence to decide who to vote for, and a large majority have already encountered fake accounts and impersonators online. The survey was conducted by the Geocartography Group among a representative sample of 1,005 Israelis.

The data shows that 69% of the public are concerned to a great or very great extent that the political discourse surrounding the election campaign will lead to an increase in online violence. This concern exists against the background of extensive exposure to disinformation: about 71% of the public report that they have encountered false information around the election campaign often or occasionally, and only about 15% say they have not encountered it at all.

The phenomenon of online impersonation is also common: 56.8% of the public report that they encounter fake accounts or impersonators, while only about 20% say they have never encountered the phenomenon. Alongside this, the survey points to a significant presence of abusive use of artificial intelligence: 48.2% of the public report that they often or occasionally encounter the use of AI for the purpose of harming another person or slandering them.

The Israel Internet Association emphasizes that impersonation, disinformation, and abusive use of AI are no longer future threats or marginal phenomena, but part of the current reality of the online space.

Against the background of the election campaign, there is a concern that existing risks in the digital space — including violence, incitement, and disinformation — will intensify and even feed each other. Disinformation surrounding the elections is not experienced as a phenomenon belonging to only one political camp. Exposure to it crosses the political map: 73.3% of respondents identified with the right reported that they were exposed to disinformation, compared to 69.5% in the center and 68.9% on the left.

Voter guide: how to protect yourself from false information

Against the background of the findings, the Israel Internet Association is publishing a guide for dealing with false information in the digital space, designed to help voters navigate the flood of information and deal with attempts at deception and manipulation. The association recommends checking who is behind the news, preferring reliable sources, cross-referencing information, and checking the publication date and context.

The need for critical examination takes on added importance as a quarter of the Israeli public (25%) reported that they are considering or intend to use AI tools for the purpose of making a decision ahead of the elections.

The Israel Internet Association emphasizes that AI tools and chatbots can be effective aids for learning and comparing positions, but an answer from an AI system is not an objective recommendation and is not a source of authority in itself. AI systems can make mistakes, rely on old or incorrect information, confuse fact with interpretation, and even invent facts.

Therefore, instead of asking AI tools "Who should I vote for?", the association recommends using it as a tool for investigation, comparison, and fact-checking.

Below are examples of questions recommended to ask AI tools:

1. "Compare the parties' positions on issue X. Use up-to-date sources, attach a source to each claim, and separate facts from interpretation."

2. "What are the parties' positions on issue X, and what are the official sources for these positions?"

3. "Present the main arguments for and against this policy, without recommending which position I should choose."

4. "What questions should I ask to fairly compare the candidates on this issue?"

It is important to note that one should not rely solely on the AI's answer. One must open the sources on which it is based and verify that they are up-to-date. According to Dr. Shaked Davran Zivan, coordinator of digital literacy and safety at the Israel Internet Association: "A free and fair election campaign depends on our ability to make a decision based on reliable information. AI tools can help us understand the issues at hand, but one must not rely on them with closed eyes. It is important to check the sources, think critically — and in the end, form the position ourselves."