“I Refuse to Accept the Election Result!” How AI-Generated Disinformation Affects Political Cynicism and Active Withdrawal in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election

AI-generated content has enabled the spread of synthetic disinformation, leading citizens to become skeptical of all political messages—political cynicism. Although political cynicism can make individuals more resistant to disinformation, it may also lead to what we term “active withdrawal,” defined as either the intention to vote for a third-party candidate or the refusal to accept election results. Empirically, this study examines how exposure to AI-generated disinformation on social media influenced political cynicism and such voting behavior in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. A population-based survey of 1,220 U.S. adults revealed that exposure to AI-generated disinformation heightened perceptions of its prevalence and increased political cynicism; and that cynicism was positively associated with active withdrawal—intention to vote for third-party candidates and refusal to accept election results. Further, political trust moderates the relationship between cynicism and these voting behaviors—among respondents with higher trust in political institutions, cynical attitudes exert particularly strong effects. These results demonstrate the psychological and behavioral impacts of AI-generated disinformation, and implications for safeguarding democratic processes.