The LGA has launched a series of educational videos for councillors and council officers to help identify the growing risks posed by deepfakes and other forms of synthetic media.
The LGA’s 2025 survey on artificial intelligence use in councils found that a third of respondents viewed deepfake-driven disinformation as a risk ‘to a great extent’ – second only to cybersecurity – while a further 37 per cent saw it as a ‘moderate’ risk.
In an internal study, the LGA outlined 14 categories of risk facing local government, warning that these challenges are increasing rapidly as synthetic media technologies become more accessible and more sophisticated.
Cllr Richard Clewer, Chairman of the LGA’s Public Service Reform and Innovation Committee, said: “Synthetic media and deepfakes are no longer abstract technological concepts, but real risks that councils are already beginning to face. This is particularly pertinent for elections and other future democratic engagement, where misinformation, disinformation and malinformation are likely to spread further.
“The LGA’s new video series will help colleagues across local government build their understanding, strengthen their resilience and protect the integrity of local democracy.”
- See ‘Deepfakes and Synthetic Media Unpacked’ for more information.