It is undeniable that AI has entangled itself deep into our daily politics and personal lives; it feels impossible to get away from it. From what we see online, to how decisions are made about us, we need to start asking ourselves important questions: who controls it? How is it affecting the world around us?
And are there enough restrictions in place to keep it safe? Understanding AI isn’t just an option anymore; it's the key to staying informed and ensuring we are not caught off guard by the invisible systems shaping our lives. AI is a tool and like any tool, its impact depends on how it's used.
Former Science Secretary Peter Kyle said “Technology has huge potential to transform public services for the better, we will put it to use to cut backlogs, save money and improve outcomes for citizens across the country.” This marks a major shift in how our government uses AI to support the public sector with a focus on transparency, responsible algorithms and real-world improvements in public service delivery; it is hard to see the downsides to its involvement. However, the concerns about how AI plays a part in our society and in our politics remain unsettled and increasingly restless. Can the tech companies who own AI platforms really be trusted to police themselves?
Grand View Research, a Californian market research firm, predicts the global value for AI will jump more than 530% by 2030. With profitability so high, it’s easy to see why people are worried that ethical concerns won’t be a priority. This scepticism towards AI is very apparent; in a 2025 Pew Research Center study, 71% of Americans said they would like a political candidate less if they had used AI to write a political speech.
This drops to only 56% of people feeling less confident about what they learn if they find out a news article they agreed with has been written by AI. We trust what we know and despite the many positives AI may be able to bring us, many people still prefer the human realness behind political tasks and jobs. Concerns grow even more when considering the endless power that AI-generated misinformation can put into the hands of people who wish to cause division.
For now, those of us who have grown up with social media and almost constant access to phones may be able to laugh when our grandparents confuse what we see as an obvious AI created video for reality, but how long until we are confused ourselves? How long until we are having to try and double check every video to make sure we are not being duped into believing any political headline we see on social media? How long until the flood of misinformation AI is helping to create drowns the concept of the truth?
George Orwell wrote in 1984 that “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” We understand this warning for what it is now: the flames of a forest fire fast approaching, something we need to act quickly to contain. As soon as videos become indecipherable as real or fake, we will lose our ability to navigate politics in online spaces.
We will face the impossible task of deciding what to trust and what needs further scrutiny. AI has much to offer us: it can help in the public sector, support how we work as students in accordance with university guidelines, and it can even help with scheduling your life like the private assistant you never had. But we must venture into this unknown part of the internet with open eyes.
We must make sure that it is not abused to misinform us on global affairs and social issues. We must make sure to fact-check what we are not sure of. We must believe our eyes, our ears and our guts.