Policy Matters | Can You Tell What’s Real? AI, Transparency, and Governance

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Jessica and Raahim dive into one of the most urgent questions facing our democracy today: Can the average voter still tell what’s real online? As AI-generated political videos, images, and audio spread across social media at unprecedented speed, the line between authentic and synthetic content is blurring and the consequences for voter autonomy, dignity, and democratic participation are enormous.

Drawing from their own research on AI transparency, digital political advertising, and justice frameworks, Jessica and Raahim break down how modern AI models are trained, why political deepfakes are becoming so convincing, and where current U.S. regulations fall dangerously short. They propose three actionable transparency-focused policy solutions, discuss counterarguments from libertarian and neoliberal perspectives, and explore how states can coordinate toward national standards even when federal legislation stalls.

This episode also features an in-depth interview with Akanksha Ray, Duke alum and Director of Global Policy at Credo AI, who works at the front lines of AI governance. She offers expert insight into what transparency really means in practice, why generative AI poses such a challenge for regulators, and what meaningful oversight could look like in the years ahead.
Whether you're a policymaker, technologist, student, or simply someone trying to make sense of the digital world, this episode will give you the clarity and context needed to understand how AI is reshaping politics and what we can do to protect truth in the age of synthetic media.