AI, Elections and the Fight for Truth

An Afeka webinar explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping the information landscape surrounding elections, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish authentic information from manipulated content and raising broader questions about public trust in the democratic process.

As artificial intelligence transforms how information is created, distributed and consumed, its implications for elections are becoming increasingly significant. Afeka’s webinar, “The Battle for Israel’s Election: AI and the Fight for Truth,” brought together experts from different disciplines to examine how AI-generated content, disinformation and rapidly evolving technologies could influence Israel’s election.

The event opened with remarks by Afeka President Prof. Yossi Rosenwaks who highlighted the growing complexity created by technologies that expand what is possible while also raising questions about their potential misuse and the responsibility of engineers in developing them. The webinar was moderated by Elliot Horlick, Chair of American Friends of Afeka. The panel featured Dr. Sharon Yalov-Handzel, Head of Afeka’s M.Sc. Program in Intelligent Systems; Dr. David Faitelson, Head of Afeka’s School of Software Engineering; and Dr. Hisham Abdulhalim, Head of Afeka’s Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.

When Seeing Is No Longer Believing

The discussion examined the growing challenge posed by AI-generated political videos, deepfakes and manipulated content circulating across digital platforms. As these technologies become increasingly sophisticated and accessible, the question is whether voters can still reliably determine what is authentic.

Another central theme was the potential use of AI-powered disinformation by foreign actors seeking to influence public discourse and elections, as well as the wider implications for public confidence in democratic institutions. Widespread uncertainty about what is real can itself become a threat, creating an environment in which authentic information may be dismissed as fabricated and confidence in election results can be undermined.

Technology, Ethics and Responsibility

Bringing together expertise in intelligent systems, software engineering and AI ethics allowed the discussion to move beyond the technology itself. The webinar examined questions of responsibility: what role technology developers, platforms, institutions and individuals play in protecting the integrity of the information environment, and how societies can respond as the capabilities of generative AI continue to advance. The discussion reflected a broader challenge extending well beyond any single election or country: how to preserve informed public discourse and trust in an era in which the line between authentic and artificially generated content is becoming increasingly difficult to see.

Watch the full webinar, "The Battle for Israel’s Election: AI and the Fight for Truth," here >>

Speakers