AI swarms could hijack democracy without anyone noticing

A new kind of political threat may be emerging, and it is far less visible than protests or traditional voter manipulation. Researchers warn that highly realistic AI-controlled personas could soon play a major role in shaping public opinion and influencing democratic systems.

A recent policy forum paper published in Science describes how large groups of AI-generated personas can convincingly imitate human behavior online. These systems can enter digital communities, participate in discussions, and influence viewpoints at extraordinary speed. Unlike earlier bot networks, these AI agents can coordinate instantly, respond to feedback, and maintain consistent narratives across thousands of accounts.

How AI personas mimic real people online

Rapid progress in large language models and multi-agent systems has made it ...