Short‑form video and generative AI in the 2024 U.S. election campaign

Sources

1. 01.

   Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School. The apocalypse that wasn't: AI was everywhere in 2024's elections, but deepfakes and misinformation were only part of the picture. (2024). Post-election assessment finding that AI was widely used in campaigning but that the anticipated large-scale deepfake disruption did not occur.

   ash.harvard.edu/articles/the-apocalypse-that-wasnt-ai-was-everywhere-in-2024s-elections-but-deepfakes-and-misinformation-were-only-part-of-the-pictureopen_in_newinventory_2archived copy
2. 02.

   Hasan, S. & Ahmed, A. (2025). Gauging the AI Threat to Free and Fair Elections. Brennan Center for Justice. Published 6 March 2025. Assessment of the evidence on AI-generated content in elections, used here for the caveat that documented use is not the same as documented effect: its own summary is that AI 'didn't disrupt the 2024 election, but the effects are likely to be greater in the future.'

   www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/gauging-ai-threat-free-and-fair-electionsopen_in_newinventory_2archived copy
3. 03.

   Gorman, L. & Goldenberg, C. (2024). TikTok in the 2024 US Presidential Race: Trending Campaign Strategy or Passing Trend?. German Marshall Fund of the United States. Published 19 September 2024. The source for the short-form-video half of this entry: both campaigns ran two TikTok accounts each — Trump's from June 2024, Harris's personal account from 25 July — with follower counts in the millions by September, and the authors describe the platform as redefining how candidates reach young voters.

   www.gmfus.org/news/tiktok-2024-us-presidential-race-trending-campaign-strategy-or-passing-trendopen_in_new