Full Fact is battling AI-generated elections content with AI tools of its own
Full Fact is utilizing AI-driven detection tools to counter the proliferation of AI-generated misinformation surrounding the recent Scottish parliamentary elections
- Incident date
- Jun 2026
- Target
- Scottish parliamentary elections
In June 2026, the fact-checking organization Full Fact began deploying AI tools to identify and combat AI-generated content circulating during the Scottish parliamentary elections. The initiative follows concerns over the use of synthetic media to influence political discourse.
What happened
During the Scottish parliamentary elections held in May 2026, an independent candidate in Glasgow shared videos on social media platforms including Facebook that featured AI-generated scenes. The candidate claimed these videos were intended to be "illustrative" of future goals rather than accurate depictions of past events. The footage, which was labeled by the candidate as representative of their aspirations, sparked significant debate regarding the use of synthetic media in political campaigning. In response to the rise of such content, Full Fact has adopted its own AI-powered verification systems to detect and analyze synthetic misinformation. This strategy mirrors the increasing trend of using automated technology to scale the verification of digital media in real time.