"I know it's a deepfake": the role of AI disclaimers and comprehension in the processing of deepfake parodies.

This article investigates the audience reception and effects of deepfake parodies—AI-generated videos that imitate political figures for comedic purposes—within the emerging phenomenon termed "misinfotainment," which blends misinformation and entertainment. Through two experiments involving U.S. participants viewing deepfake parodies of Donald Trump and Joe Biden discussing climate change, the study examines how AI disclaimers (notices indicating AI-generated content) influence viewers’ comprehension, parody recognition, humor enjoyment, message discounting, counterarguing, policy support, and sharing intentions. Findings show that AI disclaimers reduce perceived comprehension difficulty and affect parody recognition differently depending on the political figure and humor style; humor enjoyment correlates positively with sharing intentions and, in some cases, policy support, while message discounting generally relates negatively to these outcomes. The research integrates the Comprehension–Elaboration Theory of Humor and the dual-path model of political satire processing to elucidate how comprehension and elaboration mediate audience responses, offering insights relevant to political communication, media regulation, and the societal implications of AI-driven media technologies.