Sacha Altay

Sep 3, 2024 | govtech.com | Felix Simon |Keegan McBride |Sacha Altay

The earliest predictions warned that a new AI-powered world was, apparently, propelling us toward a “tech-enabled Armageddon” where “elections get screwed up”, and that “anybody who’s not worried [was] not paying attention.” The internet is full of doom-laden stories proclaiming that AI-generated deepfakes will mislead and influence voters, as well as enabling new forms of personalized and targeted political advertising. Though such claims are concerning, it is critical to look at the evidence.

Sep 3, 2024 | t.ly | Felix Simon |Keegan McBride |Sacha Altay |Rhiannon Williamsarchive page

Concerns about AI and democracy, and particularly elections, are warranted. The use of AI can perpetuate and amplify existing social inequalities or reduce the diversity of perspectives individuals are exposed to. The harassment and abuse of female politicians with the help of AI is deplorable.

May 17, 2024 | journals.sagepub.com | Waqas Ejaz |Sacha Altay |Richard Fletcher |Rasmus Nielsen

Research articleIntroductionDespite the long-established scientific consensus that human activities are the primary drivers of climate change, conspiracy theories, contrarians’ viewpoints, and misinformation about its origins, impacts, and solutions continue to propagate in the contemporary information environment (Biddlestone et al., 2022; Cook, 2020; van der Linden et al., 2017).

May 14, 2024 | journals.sagepub.com | Sacha Altay |Richard Fletcher |Rasmus Nielsen

IntroductionParticipation in public life – whether in-person or mediated; offline or online – is often praised as a civic good. While some forms of participation are ambiguous or even outright harmful, decades of media research, political theory and social science sees more participation as, on balance, positive and declines in participation as worrying (Couldry et al., 2010; Norris, 2011; Strömbäck, 2005; Verba et al., 1995).

May 14, 2024 | journals.sagepub.com | Sacha Altay |Richard Fletcher |Rasmus Nielsen

IntroductionParticipation in public life – whether in-person or mediated; offline or online – is often praised as a civic good. While some forms of participation are ambiguous or even outright harmful, decades of media research, political theory and social science sees more participation as, on balance, positive and declines in participation as worrying (Couldry et al., 2010; Norris, 2011; Strömbäck, 2005; Verba et al., 1995).