Social Media and Disinformation: Risks Becoming More Serious with Evolution of Generative AI

17:35 JST, February 6, 2026
The spread of disinformation and misinformation regarding the upcoming House of Representatives election continues unabated on social media.
Many believe the situation is worsening because the evolution of generative artificial intelligence technologies is making it easier for anyone to create fake videos.
When casting their ballots, voters are urged not to blindly accept information they find online, but to refer to reliable sources before making their decisions.
Quite a few pieces of disinformation and misinformation appear to be aimed at tarnishing the image of specific parties or candidates.
For example, an image with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s face unnaturally altered was posted on the X social media network in mid-January. The image was accompanied by text that said: “Sanae Takaichi’s appearance speaks to the darkness and terror within her heart.” This post gained over 3.6 million views.
A video clip that showed Centrist Reform Alliance coleader Tetsuo Saito saying, “There are things more important than humans,” was viewed over 800,000 times. In reality, Saito went on to say, “We don’t subscribe to such a philosophy,” but this comment had been deleted in the clip.
Another fake video also went viral online, in which some opposition party leaders appeared to begin dancing during their campaign broadcast.
Satirical cartoons targeting public figures have existed for ages. However, the dissemination of disinformation and misinformation aimed at deceiving voters and manipulating public opinion cannot be overlooked. If such acts are left unchecked, elections — the very foundation of democracy — will remain at the mercy of social media to the point of distorting fairness.
Fundamentally, it must be said that social media is based on a mechanism that enables disinformation and slander to spread easily, regardless of whether it is related to elections. The more views posters can get, the more advertising revenue is generated for them. This mechanism encourages third parties to create sensational videos.
It is extremely reckless to post disinformation and misinformation to gain profits, without any regard for its negative impacts on society.
The Information Distribution Platform Law took effect last spring, obligating major operators to promptly deal with requests to delete posts if they are submitted by people who have suffered damage.
However, it is up to operators themselves whether to decide to delete the posts in question. These companies, moreover, bear no responsibility to make public the detailed reasons behind their decisions.
The ruling and opposition parties must consider strengthening regulations on social media posts. They could explore introducing a mechanism under which revenue would not be generated based on view counts for posts during an election campaign period.
When encountering sensational posts, voters are urged to pause and consider whether their sources are trustworthy. It is also effective to verify facts through such references as official election bulletins and the official websites of parties, in addition to newspapers.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 6, 2026)
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