As AI advances, fear of election interference and artificially generated media is growing. But Ross Dahlke ’18 says most Americans still receive political news from credible outlets.
“People shouldn’t let their skepticism from the growth of AI and untrustworthy AI sources cloud their trust of high-quality sources,” he says.
Dahlke is an assistant professor of journalism and mass communication. He studies political information exposure and its effect on the online information environment. His work combines computational social science, data science, and software development to understand our changing information landscape, which is increasingly shaped by AI. Dahlke earned his doctoral degree at Stanford University and his undergraduate degree from UW–Madison.
On October 27, 2026, Dahlke will join the UW Now Live, alongside political science professor Barry Burden to discuss the impact of AI on the upcoming election.
My Chief Area of Expertise Is:
I study the information that people are exposed to online and how people come to be exposed to that information. I also study the effects that information exposure has on people in our media environment, which is increasingly saturated with artificial intelligence. For example, I study the extent to which people are consuming AI-generated content and the effect that exposure may have on things like beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes.
On the UW Now Live, I’ll Talk About:
I’m going to be focusing on the extent to which Americans are nervous about the effect AI-generated content may have on our electoral system and the effect it may have on people. Then, I’m going to dive into some of my own research about the extent to which people are actually consuming AI-generated content online. … People may not be consuming as much AI-generated news as we might think. It’s a small but growing component of our news ecosystem.
If There’s One Thing Viewers Should Take Away, It’s:
Despite all the concerns about the role that AI may play in elections, the evidence suggests that the vast majority of news that people consume is from high-quality outlets.
To Get Smart Fast, See:
For information on my research and the role of AI in elections, see rossdahlke.com.
