Israel election campaign marked by AI disinformation and personal attacks

As Israel approaches a pivotal election, the campaign has intensified into a period of aggressive personal attacks and the widespread use of artificial intelligence to influence public opinion. Candidates and activists are increasingly utilizing AI-generated imagery and videos to portray opponents as unreliable or harmful to the nation, often leveraging stereotypes and fears.

Polling indicates a near-tie between the bloc led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the center-right bloc of his primary rival, Gadi Eisenkot. The campaign has become deeply personal, with both sides utilizing AI to target the other's reputation. For instance, Eisenkot released an AI video featuring a Hamas militant and an AI depiction of Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei to criticize Netanyahu's leadership.

Conversely, Netanyahu has used AI-generated content to target Eisenkot, including a video that sparked outrage by appearing to manipulate a scene involving a young man who resembled Eisenkot's deceased son, who was killed in combat.