Generative AI and the transformation of algorithmic populism
This paper explores the usage of generative AI disinformation during the period of presidential and parliamentary elections in Croatia in 2024/2025. It has employed the notion of algorithmic populism as an analytical framework with the aim of understanding new communication patterns that emerged from generative AI technologies. By combining algorithmic populism with the deepfake-cheapfake spectrum developed by Paris and Donovan (2019), this study identifies 115 cases of AI-generated disinformation content. Fifteen of these cases were found during the parliamentary, and 100 during the presidential elections. Most cases were circulated on Facebook (56) and TikTok (37), while the most used AI techniques were face swapping (43) and voice synthesis (30). Analysed disinformation campaigns mostly targeted Zoran Milanović, Andrej Plenković, and Dragan Primorac. The findings indicate a transformation of algorithmic populism during elections, extending its role from the amplification of content to production and adaptation.