NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released an updated guide to help New Yorkers spot, avoid, and report election misinformation created by artificial intelligence (AI) ahead of the November 3 general elections. In just the last year, AI-generated images, videos, and audio recordings have become more sophisticated and harder to detect. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has also found that AI chatbots, which answer questions people type into an app or website, can give voters incorrect or outdated information regarding poll site locations, voting deadlines, and voting requirements. The guide gives New Yorkers practical steps to check election information with official sources before they act on it or share it.
“When New Yorkers head to the polls, they deserve to have accurate information to cast an informed vote,” said Attorney General James. “AI has made it easier than ever for bad actors to spread convincing lies about candidates and about when, where, and how to vote, and chatbots can confidently give voters the wrong answer. Before you believe or share anything you see about the election, check it with your board of elections or another trusted source. My office will be standing guard throughout this election, and we will not let anyone use AI to deceive voters or keep New Yorkers from the polls.”
AI tools can create photos, videos, and audio recordings that appear to show real people saying things they never said or doing things they never did. They can also be made to look like official notices or government messages. Bad actors can use this fake content to mislead voters about candidates, voter eligibility, and where, when, or how to vote. For example, a fake video might show a government official giving false voting instructions, a fake message might try to scare voters into staying home by threatening something that would never happen, or a robocall or social media post might use fake audio that sounds like a real person.
The updated guide reflects how quickly AI has advanced since Attorney General James first released it in 2024. The original guide told voters to watch for warning signs like unnatural body movements or strange lighting, shadows, or sound in videos. Today’s AI fakes are far more convincing, and those warning signs may no longer be present. Because AI fakes are so hard to identify and can spread quickly on social media, Attorney General James urges New Yorkers to check trusted sources, like established news outlets or official election websites, before believing any unexpected message about voting or elections.
Under New York law, any political communication that includes seemingly realistic, but AI-generated or otherwise deceptive images, video, or audio must be clearly labeled as manipulated. However, OAG cautions that much of the fake content circulating online is not labeled, and tools that claim to detect AI-generated content are not always accurate. Attorney General James encourages anyone who encounters a voting-related video, image, or audio recording that they suspect to be manipulated and does not include a disclosure to file a complaint.
The OAG is also warning New Yorkers not to rely on AI chatbots for voting information. Chatbots can sound confident and trustworthy, but they have given voters information for the wrong city or state, incorrect deadlines, and false voting requirements. Voters who rely on a chatbot without checking an official source could end up at the wrong poll site or miss an important deadline.
For accurate voting information, New Yorkers should contact the New York State Board of Elections or their local board of elections. Voters can find their county board of elections using the state Board of Elections’ county board roster tool, and can check their poll site, registration, and ballot status using the voter lookup tool. Early voting runs from Saturday, October 24 through Sunday, November 1, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.
Misinformation does not only come from AI. The OAG reminds New Yorkers to stay alert for all kinds of false election information, whether it arrives on a postcard, in an email or text, or on a lawn sign.
Attorney General James’ guide offers New Yorkers the following tips:
- For information on where, when, or how to vote, and voter eligibility, contact or visit state and local boards of elections’ websites. The OAG also operates an Election Protection Hotline during the voting period, which voters can contact to ask questions and file complaints.
- Do not rely on AI chatbots to answer questions about elections or voting.
- Be skeptical of photos, videos, and audio circulating online about elections, candidates, or their campaigns. Be especially careful with content that is emotional, shocking, or surprising. Remember that it may be fake.
- Do not assume something is real just because it looks or sounds real. AI fakes have improved so much that they may have no obvious flaws.
- Do not share content that seems suspicious without confirmation that it is real and accurate.
- Check any information on elections or voting that comes from unofficial sources, and encourage others to do the same.
- Be mindful that the information in a phone call about voting or elections may be inaccurate or fake. Remember to verify information with official sources.
- Report social media content that seems fake to the platform it is on.
- Report false information about elections or voting, especially about when, where, or how to vote, to the OAG.
Attorney General James urges New Yorkers who see misleading or inaccurate information about the elections to contact her office by filing an online complaint. When submitting the complaint form, select “Other” and enter “Election Misinformation” as the complaint topic, and include a copy of the misleading or inaccurate content. Voters experiencing election-related problems can also contact the OAG’s Election Protection Hotline at (866) 390-2992 or electionhotline.ag.ny.gov beginning on October 24.
