Synthetic Environmental Activism in Pakistan: an Analysis of Audience Trust, Authenticity, and Ethical Concerns in AI-Based Environmental Activism

Abstract

The fast-paced development of AI computer systems that can perform functions that usually require human intelligence is changing digital communication and activism around the world. One of the trends that is becoming common in this regard is known as synthetic activism, which refers to activism through virtual influencers created by AI. Such digital characters have been used to support environmental causes through different social media sites. This trend allows activists to create content in multiple languages and to create eye-catching visuals for audiences. Thus, this paper studies the impact of AI-created messages for environmental communication created by artificial intelligence systems, which have emerged in nations like Pakistan, in addition to the impact these messages create on the target audience. Qualitative and quantitative analyses are being used to measure the effects, ethics, and credibility of the synthetic activism created using artificial intelligence. The results reveal that the virtual messages created using AI are effective enough in engaging larger audiences as well as providing them access to environmental messages. However, the trust of the audience is largely dependent on the perception of authenticity and human intervention, as shown by issues relating to the transparency, misinformation, and bias of the content.