A new Adobe study across Australia and New Zealand finds that people believe misinformation and harmful deepfakes will influence future elections. Respondents express concern regarding the potential manipulation of content they consume online. People believe it is essential that they have the tools to verify the trustworthiness of online content.

Adobe released the findings of its Future of Trust Study for Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), which surveyed over 1,000 consumers across the two countries as part of a global study about their experience encountering misinformation online and concerns about the impact of generative AI.

Tied to its work on responsible innovation, Adobe commissioned the study to understand public perceptions and sentiments about the societal impact of generative AI and misinformation, including its implications within the context of global elections this year. Among the findings, the study highlights the strong desire of consumers to have tools to verify the trustworthiness of digital content and the urgent need for proactive measures to address misinformation’s potential impact on election integrity globally.

“Our research shows that consumers are optimistic about the benefits of generative AI with usage set to accelerate over the the next year,” said Jennifer Mulveny, Asia Pacific Director of Government Relations at Adobe. “As a leader in developing AI technologies responsibly, we deeply consider the impact it has on users, consumers and society at large.

“Our Future of Trust Study underscores the importance of building media literacy among consumers, where they are not only alert to harmful deepfakes but have the tools to discern fact from fiction. As the Australian federal election looms, adopting protective technologies like Content Credentials will be crucial to help restore trust in the digital content we are consuming,” Mulveny said.

Key findings of the study include:

Misinformation is regarded as one of the biggest threats facing society – a concern that may be eroding trust in certain platforms where misinformation is spread.

• With misinformation becoming more prevalent, the study shows that 82% of ANZ respondents express concern that the content they consume online is vulnerable to being altered to fuel misinformation.
• 77% of ANZ consumers said that it is becoming difficult to verify whether the content they are consuming online is trustworthy.
• Concerns about misinformation are also impacting consumers’s use of social media platforms, with almost one in three ANZ respondents (32%) saying that they have stopped or curtailed their use of a specific social media platform due to the amount of misinformation on it.

Amidst a climate of eroding trust in digital content, consumers are concerned about protecting election integrity.

• In a year when over four billion people globally are headed to the polls, including upcoming federal elections in Australia, 78% of people in New Zealand believe that misinformation and harmful deepfakes will impact future elections.
• Without widespread tools to help them decide whether the online content they are consuming is true, 80% of people in ANZ believe that election candidates should be prohibited from using generative AI in their promotional content.
• Almost nine out of ten ANZ consumers (87%) believe that governments and technology companies should work together to protect election integrity against the detrimental effects of deepfakes and misinformation.

Most people consider the credibility of a source before sharing content but believe that having the tools and media literacy skills to verify whether a content is true is important.

• Most people (87% of ANZ) believe that it is essential that they have the right tools to verify if online content is trustworthy.
• In addition, 81% of ANZ respondents agree that it is important to know if the content they are consuming is generated using AI.
• Concerns regarding misinformation are impacting how people think about its potential effect on children, with 87% of ANZ consumers saying that children should be taught media literacy skills as part of their school curriculum.

Methodology

Adobe collaborated with Advanis to collect 1,005 responses from Australia and New Zealand as part of 11,190 responses globally; all survey respondents were 18 and older. Data was collected from an opt-in non-probability sample provider in March.

Justin Lance Marcel Lavadia

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Justin Lavadia is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum with a diverse writing background spanning various niches and formats. With a wealth of experience, he brings clarity and concise communication to digital content. His expertise lies in crafting engaging content and delivering impactful narratives that resonate with readers.

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