How AI is shaping 2024 US election tracking

Apple News’ Live Activities and Perplexity’s AI-powered hub offer real-time tracking for the 2024 US election.

As the 2024 US general election unfolds, technology plays an increasingly important role in how voters receive and interact with election data.

Apple News and Live Activities

Apple News has introduced a feature that allows users to stay informed about the 2024 US election results in real-time through Live Activities. Originally designed to display dynamic updates like sports scores, music playback, and ongoing calls, Live Activities has expanded to support live election tracking. This addition aims to provide iPhone and Apple Watch users with up-to-the-minute election results directly on their Lock Screens or within the Dynamic Island interface.

Apple News has introduced a feature that allows users to stay informed about the 2024 US election results (Image credit) How to access Live Activities on Apple News

Activating the election-tracking feature is straightforward:

• Open Apple News and look for the “Follow the 2024 election live” banner at the top of the homepage or under “Top Stories.”
• If the banner is not visible, navigate to the “Election 2024” section under the Special Coverage menu.
• Tap on the banner to enable Live Activity, which will trigger a notification confirming activation.
• To deactivate, simply tap the banner again.

Once activated, users will see live electoral counts and updates without needing to open their phones fully, providing a seamless, at-a-glance view of the voting progress.

The Live Activities feature is a significant step for Apple in integrating real-time data with user-friendly accessibility. It builds on the success seen during caucus result tracking earlier this year, where many found it a convenient way to stay updated without engaging in polarizing media coverage. However, with preliminary results potentially taking days and final tallies due in December, it remains to be seen how well this feature handles continuous, long-term updates without interruption or user fatigue.

Perplexity AI’s election hub

On November 3, Perplexity launched an election information hub, which aggregates live updates from The Associated Press (AP) and Democracy Works. This hub offers more than just results; it provides interactive information about voting requirements, polling times, and even AI-generated summaries of candidates, policy positions, and endorsements.

How Perplexity’s election hub works

Accessible via its website, Perplexity’s election hub aims to be an all-in-one platform for election-related queries. Users can:

• View live updates on presidential, senate, and house races at both state and national levels.
• Ask questions similar to interacting with an AI chatbot, seeking explanations on ballot measures or summaries of candidate platforms.
• Receive data pulled from APIs hosted by AP and Democracy Works for reliable updates.

However, there’s an essential caveat: while Perplexity offers a range of election data and AI-generated content, it comes with accuracy warnings. Like other AI platforms, Perplexity’s Voter Guide service may produce summaries that include factual errors or misinterpretations. Users are encouraged to verify critical information using external sources.

Perplexity’s foray into live election tracking is noteworthy, especially as major AI competitors like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic have refrained from offering similar features. These tech giants have opted for caution, directing users to trusted sources like AP and Reuters for election data instead. The hesitation stems from the known issue of AI-generated confabulations—plausible but incorrect information—when summarizing data from multiple sources.

Perplexity’s election hub aims to be an all-in-one platform for election-related queries (Image credit) Accuracy warnings

A recent report by CNBC highlighted US government concerns over the reliability of AI chatbots for voting-related information. An investigation conducted by the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James found that chatbots often provided inaccurate or misleading information when asked election-related questions. This could have significant implications for voters, particularly those who may depend on these platforms due to accessibility challenges or language barriers.

A July study by the Center for Democracy and Technology reinforced these concerns, finding that five AI models, including ChatGPT-4 and Claude 3 Opus, delivered incorrect responses to more than one-third of 77 election-related questions. This demonstrates a clear need for caution when using AI-generated content for critical, real-world decisions like voting.

Perplexity acknowledges this limitation and advises users to cross-reference information with reliable external sources. The platform’s Pro tier uses OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet, known for higher accuracy, but even these advanced models are not immune to occasional errors.

The importance of verification

While these tech tools provide convenient and timely election data, they underscore the importance of verifying information. Apple’s Live Activities depends on straightforward data display, which minimizes the risk of error. Perplexity, however, relies on AI models that may inadvertently introduce inaccuracies. Voters should use these technologies as supplementary tools while ensuring their primary source of information comes from trusted, official channels.

Featured image credit: Kerem Gülen/Ideogram