AI and misinformation: what’s ahead for social media as the US election looms?

Innovation is outpacing our ability to handle misinformation, experts say. That makes falsehoods easy to weaponize

As the United States' fractured political system prepares for a tense election, social media companies may not be prepared for an onslaught of viral rumors and lies that could disrupt the voting process - an ongoing feature of elections in the misinformation age.

A handful of major issues face these tech companies at a time when trust in elections, and in the information people find on social media, is low. The potential for politicians and their supporters to weaponize social media to spread misinformation, meanwhile, is high.