Commission warns that AI and bot amplification are worsening online hate as moderation tools erode

Chair Levin led an update on online hate, warning commissioners that artificial intelligence and automated accounts are amplifying hateful content and that platform moderation and fact‑checking capacity have diminished.

“As you may have heard, the CEO of Twitter has departed after a debacle where their AI platform called GROK sent out horrible antisemitic and Hitler‑loving statements,” Levin said, using platform examples shown during the meeting. He also highlighted a high‑follower account that posted mocking content about a funeral with millions of views and warned that AI‑generated clips can look convincingly real.

Levin and other commissioners described how AI and bot activity can spread eliminationist rhetoric beyond its original target groups, creating broader threat vectors against adjacent communities. The chair pointed to media examples of manipulated video (NBC and Maddow segments) and described how accounts and bots can behave like real users, amplifying polarization.

Vice Chair Damsky told the commission she sees the consequences locally: “We’re seeing it in our communities also, where hate language is becoming more commonplace. It’s becoming more intense. Threats are much more easily made, and that’s a real concern.” Commissioners urged the commission to follow contracted research into intervention messages and to consider inviting experts to brief the body.

Why it matters: Commissioners said degraded moderation and rising AI sophistication make it harder to measure and limit harm; they recommended further research, expert briefings and continued monitoring of platform policy and enforcement changes.

Provenance: This article is based on the online‑hate update and commissioner remarks during the July meeting.