The first AI election: 71% of the public encountered false information online
Internet Association survey ahead of the 2026 elections: 69% of the public fear increased online violence, and over half encounter impersonation accounts. Alongside exposure to abusive use of AI, the association publishes a guide for dealing with false information and emphasizes: AI tools can assist in comparing positions, but are no substitute for judgment.
A survey conducted by the Israel Internet Association ahead of the Knesset elections to be held on October 27, 2026, reveals that the voting public fears impersonation and abusive use of AI online during the election campaign. Respondents also reported high exposure to online disinformation, alongside increased violence within political discourse.
About 69% of the public fear to a great or very great extent that the political discourse surrounding the election campaign will lead to an increase in online violence. This fear exists against the backdrop of widespread exposure to disinformation: about 71% of the public report that they have encountered false information regarding the election campaign often or occasionally, and only about 15% say they have not encountered it at all.
Growing threats in the digital space
The phenomenon of online impersonation is also common: 56.8% of the public report that they encounter fake or impersonation accounts often or occasionally. Alongside this, 48.2% of the public report that they often or occasionally encounter the use of AI to harm another person or defame them. These findings indicate that impersonation, disinformation, and abusive use of AI are no longer marginal phenomena and may play a significant role in the upcoming elections.
In this context, we note that the new site 'This is in AI' tracks all content created with the help of AI on politicians' social networks.
Demographic differences and political context
The survey found interesting differences in the level of exposure to disinformation:
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Gender gaps: men report higher exposure (75.3%) than women (67.3%). This correlates with differences in social media usage: men use Twitter and LinkedIn more frequently, while women prefer Instagram and Pinterest.
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Gaps between population groups: 74.5% of Jewish respondents reported exposure to false information, compared to 56.4% among Arabs.
However, disinformation crosses the entire political map: 73.3% of respondents identified with the right, 69.5% in the center, and 68.9% on the left reported being exposed to disinformation.
How to deal with false information
The Israel Internet Association has published a guide for dealing with false information in the digital space. The association recommends checking who is behind the news, preferring reliable sources, and cross-referencing information between several independent channels.
Regarding the use of AI to decide who to vote for, the association emphasizes that AI tools can be effective aids for comparing positions, but they are not objective authorities. AI systems may err, confuse fact with interpretation, or invent sources. Instead of asking 'Who should I vote for?', the association recommends using AI as a research tool: 'Compare the parties' positions on issue X, use up-to-date sources, and separate facts from interpretation.'
Dr. Shaked Davran-Zion, coordinator of safety and literacy at the Israel Internet Association, concludes: 'A free and fair election campaign depends on our ability to make decisions based on reliable information. AI tools can help us understand the issues, but one must not rely on them with closed eyes. It is important to check sources, think critically, and form our positions ourselves.'
