Does trust in government moderate the perception towards deepfakes? Comparative perspectives from Asia on the risks of AI and misinformation for democracy

There have recently been growing global concerns about misinformation, and more specifically about how deepfake technologies have been used to run disinformation campaigns. These concerns, in turn, have influenced people's perceptions of deepfakes, often associating them with threats to democracy and fostering less positive views. But does high trust in government mitigate these influences, thereby strengthening positive perceptions of deepfakes? In a cross-national survey conducted in Malaysia, Singapore, and India, we found no evidence of a negative association either between concern about the spread of misinformation online or perceived risks of AI to democracy, with positive attitudes towards deepfakes. However, when accounting for the moderating factor of trust in government, respondents in Singapore who have high trust levels exhibited more positive attitudes towards deepfakes, despite their concerns about misinformation. Similarly, higher trust in government correlated with more favorable perceptions of deepfakes even among those who view AI as a risk to democracy; this effect is evident across all three countries. In the conclusion, we spell out the implications of these findings for politics in Asia and beyond.