Generative AI as a Protest Tool: Mobilization, Transnational Advocacy, and Grief

• In Event: Digital (Un)Democracy: AI, Media, and the New Political Order

Abstract

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) tools are increasingly adopted into different facets of political life. While such tools are often adopted by incumbents to broadcast their narrative, dissidents have also adopted GAI tools in their fight for power. With an analysis of AI-generated visual content during the 2025-6 anti-system Iranian protests sourced from X and Instagram, this paper identifies key opportunities and risks of GenAI usage for democratic struggles. Qualitative analysis demonstrate that GAI tools are widely used to modify or create visual content for mobilizing dissidents, raising international awareness about the protests, and providing an online space to grieve killed protestors. Further increasing usage of GAI has created a confusion landscape, blurring the lines between reality and fake images. This confusion is further capitalized by the state to question the legitimacy of the protests and its subsequent state repression.

Author

• Danial Vahabli, Stony Brook University