Europeans fear AI in elections but trust it for police and military use, study finds

A recent study reveals that most Europeans are wary of artificial intelligence (AI) being used in elections, but they trust it when used for police and military purposes. The “European Tech Insights” report by IE University in Spain surveyed over 3,000 people across 10 European countries.

According to the findings, 67 percent of Europeans fear hackers could manipulate election results using AI. Over 30 percent of respondents also believe AI has already influenced their voting decisions. The United Kingdom and Spain had the most skeptical populations, with 54 percent and 51 percent, respectively, expressing distrust of AI in elections.

Experts have warned that AI could worsen disinformation during elections. Deepfakes, or AI-generated fake content, are spreading rapidly on social media. In a recent Slovakian election, AI-created audio recordings falsely portrayed a candidate discussing vote manipulation.

Carlos Luca de Tena, executive director at IE’s Center for the Governance of Change, said public concern is growing, even though there’s no strong evidence yet of AI dramatically altering election outcomes.

However, Europeans are more open to AI in police and military contexts, with 75 percent supporting its use in surveillance, despite strict European data protection laws. Younger Europeans, especially those under 35, showed more willingness to trust AI, with 34 percent saying they’d trust an AI-powered app to vote for them. In contrast, only 9 percent of people aged 65 and older shared this trust.