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The referendum campaign on the \u2018No to a Switzerland of 10 million’ was polarised. Algorithm Watch CH and the University of Zurich have examined the AI summaries that frequently appear above search results on Google and Bing. <\/p>\n
Gian Ehrenzeller \/ Keystone <\/p>\n
Multiple studies show how AI can subtly shape public opinion in democracies. Swiss watchdog AlgorithmWatch CH calls for greater transparency from AI companies and tougher regulation.\n<\/p>\n
This content was published on <\/p>\n
August 26, 2026 – 09:00\n<\/p>\n
AI is quietly reshaping democratic debate by changing how people find and absorb information. \u201cAI-generated overviews are becoming increasingly significant in shaping public opinion in a democracy,\u201d says Corinna Hertweck, a researcher at the civil society organisation AlgorithmWatch CH.<\/p>\n
During the referendum campaign for the \u201cNo to ten million\u201d initiative, AlgorithmWatch CH, in cooperation with the Department of Informatics at the University of Zurich, analysed more than 170,000 automatically generated search queries. The researchers examined how often the search engines Google and BingExternal link<\/a> delivered an AI-generated overview in response to a query and which sources were used.<\/p>\n The study found that 43% of all Google queries were answered with AI-generated overviews. Around one third of the sources behind these answers were considered balanced, especially those from news articles and government websites.<\/p>\n The researchers also examined how many of the sources linked in the AI overviews supported or rejected the \u201cNo to ten million\u201d initiative. They found that more sources were critical of it. AlgorithmWatch CH, however, stresses that this does not reflect which way the AI-generated answers lean.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n AI-generated overviews usually list arguments both for and against something. \u201cBut sometimes, one side gets a longer explanation while the other side only gets a brief mention,\u201d Hertweck explains. But these are only initial impressions. A quantitative analysis of how balanced the responses are has yet to be carried out.<\/p>\n Framing can influence public opinion<\/p>\n For Hertweck this subtle influence is unsettling. \u201cMillions of people use Google and get AI overviews,\u201d she says. \u201cSubtle framing like this can definitely shape public opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n During the polarised referendum campaign over the \u201cNo to ten million\u201d initiative launched by the right-wing Swiss People\u2019s Party, Zurich-based advertising agency Feinheit examined chatbots and AI overviews. Their analysis found that ChatGPT and Google Gemini highlighted more arguments against the initiative while, according to Feinheit, Google\u2019s AI OverviewsExternal link<\/a> were \u201con the side of the initiative\u2019s supporters\u201d.<\/p>\n Researchers at the universities of Maryland and WashingtonExternal link<\/a> have found that AI-generated overviews are particularly persuasive for users with \u201clittle knowledge of a topic or greater trust in AI\u201d. This shows how important AI models have become as seemingly neutral sources of information in Switzerland\u2019s direct democracy.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I ask Google a question, I no longer get several links at the top, but just an AI-generated overview,\u201d says Hertweck. \u201cIt usually sounds plausible and carries a certain authority.\u201c The so-called \u201czero-click searches\u201d \u2013 queries that are answered without users leaving the Google page \u2013 are on the rise. \u201cThat can make us less critical of the information we are getting,\u201d says Hertweck.<\/p>\n The difference between the official voting booklet and AI-generated overviews<\/p>\n In Switzerland, the debate of whether and if information is neutral is part of the democratic process. Sometimes the debate is sparked by the reporting of public-service media outlets which includes Swissinfo.<\/p>\n The debate can be even fiercer over the so-called voting booklet<\/a> that Swiss voters receive together with their ballot papers. The information it contains must be neutral and supporters and opponents must be given equal space to make their case. When it comes to campaign advertising, things are a bit different. There are no spending limits, which gives those with a larger budget greater public visibility.<\/p>\n \n More<\/p>\n More <\/p>\n Swiss democracy\n <\/p>\n What role does money play in Swiss politics? <\/p>\n This content was published on <\/p>\n Oct 16, 2025 <\/p>\n A data analysis offers a first look at how Switzerland compares internationally when it comes to political donations. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read more: What role does money play in Swiss politics? Search engines\u2019 AI-generated overviews and chatbots have become an increasingly important source of information in Swiss democracy without the usual democratic debate about their role. Yet, no one really knows what their seemingly sober answers are based on.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why Herweck demands greater transparency. \u201cThe public needs to know how AI overviews are generated.\u201d The fact that \u201cmarket power lies with very few companies\u201d is, according to Herweck, a threat to media diversity and reliable information.<\/p>\n She also points to an economic cul-de-sac created by \u201czero-click searches\u201d on Google. \u201cWhen people don\u2019t leave the Google page, it weakens media diversity. News websites lose clicks and with them the financial resources needed for good journalism.\u201d<\/p>\n In the end, she says, the reliable sources that AI overviews depend on could disappear. Hertweck also believes that companies such as Google should acknowledge that they no longer merely distribute content but create it themselves through AI overviews.<\/p>\n \n More<\/p>\n More <\/p>\n Digital Democracy\n <\/p>\n Is Swiss AI a powerhouse for democracy? <\/p>\n This content was published on <\/p>\n Mar 2, 2026 <\/p>\n US cyber expert Bruce Schneier has high hopes for a Swiss AI model. Optimism is also growing in Switzerland, but not across the board. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read more: Is Swiss AI a powerhouse for democracy? She also points to a grey area in Switzerland\u2019s draft law on communication platforms and search engines. \u201cThe law does not explicitly cover the integration of generative AI, even though we are seeing it more and more often, as for example in AI-generated overviews,\u201d Hertweck explains.<\/p>\n \u2018Things are moving incredibly fast\u2019<\/p>\n Hertweck heads the \u201cRAISD\u201d research project at AlgorithmWatch CH. Generative AI can impact a democracy because it plays a role in shaping individuals\u2019 opinions, including those of people working in politics. \u201cApart from AI-generated overviews, we also want to look at how chatbots are used in politics, for example when politicians or their staff turn to them. It could have far-reaching consequences if chatbots are involved in drafting legislation,\u201d Hertwick says of future plans.<\/p>\n The RAISD research project will analyse the interaction between AI, democracy and society until 2028. However, Hertweck does not dare predict what generative AI will look like by then. \u201cThings are moving incredibly fast which is a huge challenge for policymakers and researchers,\u201d she concludes.<\/p>\n Oxford study on how AI can \u201csteer collective opinion\u201d <\/p>\n AI also plays a role in the debate from human-to-human communication. A new study by the universities of Oxford and Potsdam shows that users cannot always trust their own written texts \u2013 \u00a0if they ask AI to edit them.<\/p>\n AI-mediated communication can steer collective opinionExternal link<\/a> is the title of the study. For their research, computer scientists asked AI models to\u201d improve\u201d opinion posts. The models softened the views or reversed them on topics ranging from abortion and feminism to climate change.<\/p>\n Professor Sandra Wachter and her team then looked at what could happen during these interactions between humans. If, for example, an AI-influenced LinkedIn post receives a response that has also been influenced by AI, the discussion gradually shifts \u2013 both for the participants and for outsiders watching the debate.<\/p>\n Pro-Life-Bias in Grok<\/p>\n \u201cOur work has shown that we need a broader discussion on how we feel about language models and their developers because the policymakers may not have been aware of the risks when they drafted the EU AI Act,\u201d Wachter writes in response to our enquiry. Even though the EU AI Act requires AI-generated content to be labelled, these requirements mainly apply to images, audio and video. It is \u201cunlikely\u201d that they will apply to written texts, according to Wachter.<\/p>\n The study found that Elon Musk\u2019s AI model Grok has a bias against abortion. While all AI models have biases, often linked to the data and content they are trained with, Wachter\u2019s team found evidence that a certain prompt from Grok\u2019s developers initiates the model to lean towards a pro-life position.<\/p>\n Edited by Samuel Jaberg\/jg. Adapted from German by Billi Bierling\/ds<\/a><\/p>\n \n More<\/p>\n More <\/p>\n Swiss democracy\n <\/p>\n Our democracy newsletter <\/p>\n If you are a fan of democracy, then you\u2019ve come to the right place. We report on the latest democratic developments, debates and challenges. <\/p>\n![\"politicians](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/679475680_highres.jpg\")
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