In modern society, there is a tendency to seek a scapegoat, someone or something to hold responsible for the challenges faced. Historically, individuals ritually transferred their sins onto a goat, which was then sent away to absolve the community of these sins. In contemporary times, advanced technologies are frequently held accountable for nearly all societal maladies. However, just as goats were not culpable for the transgressions of ancient times, technology cannot be solely blamed for the issues confronting us today.
One of the primary accusations against technology is its alleged role in spreading misinformation, fueling societal division, and undermining confidence in electoral processes. Headlines such as “Elections and Disinformation Are Colliding Like Never Before in 2024” from the New York Times, “How right-wing disinformation is fueling conspiracy theories about the 2024 election” from PBS, and “Misinformation has created an alternative world for some Americans” from CNN make these assertions. But what exactly constitutes online misinformation? How many individuals truly believe it? And what genuine harm has it caused?
Critics frequently highlight fringe movements such as QAnon’s Pizzagate child-abuse accusations and concerns about covid vaccine conspiracy theories. Nevertheless, the proportion of individuals who have embraced these claims has consistently represented only a minute fraction of those who have supported widely-held yet false mainstream beliefs, such as assertions about the Wuhan lab leak theory or interpretations of Donald Trump’s comments regarding neo-Nazis in Charlottesville. It is evident that governmental institutions and traditional media have been far more substantial sources of misinformation than the Internet.
Attributing societal polarization to technology is an additional instance of convenient blame-shifting. The United States is deeply divided on substantive issues such as abortion, firearms, immigration, and more. While new technologies can exacerbate and amplify these divisions, they are not the root cause. The 1960s witnessed a similarly polarized America without reliance on social media. Given its expansive capabilities, it is not surprising that artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a popular scapegoat, despite the fact that it cannot be physically exiled akin to the biblical goat. It is frequently purported to imperil the democratic process itself.
The notion that technology is eroding election integrity is another long-standing fallacy. Many individuals preferred to subscribe to the belief that internet misinformation and Russian bots propelled Donald Trump to victory in 2016, rather than acknowledging that voters elected to take a chance on a controversial outsider. Concerns regarding AI’s impact on the 2024 election should be regarded as speculative scapegoating. Widespread contentions that AI, algorithms, deepfakes, cheap fakes, foreign bots, and unchecked misinformation will manipulate voters and substantially distort election outcomes are not well-founded.
In conclusion, it is imperative to recognize that new technology is often the target for the problems prevalent in society. Yet, it is crucial to acknowledge that misinformation, societal polarization, and electoral distrust are deep-seated issues that predate the rapid expansion of technology. It is time to reevaluate our propensity to blame innovative technologies for societal challenges.