'It feels dystopian:' AI-generated content about election flooded online news void
But Aengus Bridgman from the Ontario-based Media Ecosystem Observatory says the good news is that a large amount of sophisticated and false online content has seemingly had a low impact on Canadian electors so far.
"We don't have any evidence yet that Canadians are being manipulated or were convinced of things that are not true," said Bridgman, also a professor at McGill University.
"This is absolutely a concern, and could occur, but it hasn't yet. There's just tons of generative AI content that we've seen."
Bridgman said the AI-generated content did little to change opinions because electors are smarter than they are given credit for.
"Canadians are much more aware of and concerned about, for example, foreign interference, the role of deepfakes and manipulated content online than previously," he said.
AI-generated content included memes and deepfake videos of politicians talking, Bridgman said.
The observatory also saw an increase in AI-generated content that impersonated legitimate news sources to promote fraudulent investment schemes, often involving cryptocurrency.
AI also repurposed a former buy and sell page on Facebook for a political group advocating for 51st statehood, Brigman said.
"News is not available on that platform, but AI was pretending to be news," he said.
He said researchers also found more Canadians clicked and surfed websites of legitimate Canadian news organizations for election information this year than in previous elections.
The news void was created by the Online News Act, which became law on June 22, 2023. It requires tech giants like Meta and Google to compensate journalism outlets for sharing their content.
In August 2023, Meta described the legislation, Bill C-18, as "unworkable" and ended news availability for Canadians on its platforms.
Bridgman said it means on April 28, Canadians will have to vote in a federal election after facing an unprecedented online election news void.
He said the content that rampantly replaced the void was not properly moderated by Meta.
"It feels 'Black Mirror'-esque, it feels dystopian," Bridgman said, referencing the popular Netflix anthology show "Black Mirror," in which every episode presents a terrifying prediction of how technology could shape the future.
"Meta has somehow decided that this is OK."
Meta spokesperson Julia Perreira, in a statement, said the company makes a significant effort to help protect elections online.
"We have around 40,000 people working on safety and security issues globally at Meta, including 15,000 moderators who review content on Facebook, Instagram and Threads, with over $30 billion invested in teams and technology in this area over the last decade," said Perreira.
Perreira added Meta has also partnered with Elections Canada this year to ensure Canadians have accurate information about participating in the election.
Bridgman said another trend MEO researchers observed in this election was the use of newer platforms like Bluesky and TikTok by politicians and voters.
There were also distinctions between party candidates and supporters in how they used those platforms to engage in the current election.
"It's one of the most notable shifts in this election," Bridgman said.
There was slightly more engagement with Conservatives than Liberals on X and Instagram, while almost all political engagement on Bluesky goes to Liberal candidates, Bridgman said.
The diverse use of platforms leads to distinct perceptions of the key issues in Canada and how the election is unfolding.
Bridgman said the information divide could further fracture political discourse and increase polarization.
"I'm very concerned about the online information ecosystem," he said. "We're kind of in an interesting moment."
The MEO was created during the 2019 federal election campaign. It receives funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage as well as other foundations.
Bridgman said this year, its researchers analyzed roughly 5,000 accounts across all social media platforms in the 2025 election campaign.
They include Canadians and American influencers, politicians, podcasters, and Canadian news organizations who publish their content across various social media platforms.
Platforms include YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky and Telegram.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2025.
Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press
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