Generative AI and Disinformation: A Systematic Examination of Challenges and Opportunities for Public Communication

Quandt, Thorsten; Klapproth, Johanna; Unger, Saïd; Boberg, Svenja

Abstract

The rise of Generative AI (GenAI) has fundamentally transformed the dynamics of public communication, offering both unprecedented opportunities and profound risks. This paper systematically examines the dual role of GenAI in the context of disinformation, using the five dimensions of Dark Participation—actors, reasons, targets, audiences, and processes—as an analytical framework. While GenAI can democratize content creation and support educational, journalistic, and resilience-enhancing efforts, it also facilitates the production and dissemination of malicious content at scale. Drawing on recent empirical developments, we map out how GenAI reshapes the mechanisms, motives, and impacts of disinformation across all dimensions of Dark Participation. The paper not only identifies the challenges GenAI poses but also explores its potentials in countering disinformation and proposes a research agenda aimed at fostering resilience.