ECI advisory to political parties: Be responsible, transparent in use of AI in campaigning

A senior ECI official said the advisory is in line with the poll panel’s efforts to ensure responsible use of AI and social media for a level playing field.
Election Commission of India (ECI).
Election Commission of India (ECI).(File Photo)
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NEW DELHI: Amid high-stake electioneering for Delhi assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued an advisory for political parties to use Artificial intelligence (AI) in campaigning in responsible and transparent ways.

In the advisory, the poll panel asked political parties and candidates to appropriately disclose and label AI-generated synthetic content to make people aware that the content is not original.

The advisory has come in the light of the increasing use of artificial intelligence and synthetically generated content in political campaigning and their potential to influence voter opinions and trust.

It is to be noted here that the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has consistently been cautioning against the potential of AI and deep fakes in compounding the malaise of misinformation.

At a recently organised press conference, where the schedule for Delhi assembly elections was announced, the CEC directed the administration to be on the alert to any attempts to spread misinformation and act swiftly to counter them especially wherever it has the potential to erode trust in electoral processes. He had then also appealed to political parties to maintain dignity and decorum in campaigning.

Taking a step further, the advisory introduces labeling and disclosure norms requiring parties to clearly label any images, videos, audio or other materials generated or significantly altered by AI technologies with a notation such as 'AI-Generated'/ 'Digitally Enhanced'/ 'Synthetic Content'.

The ECI also requires Political parties to include disclaimers during the dissemination of campaign advertisements or promotional content, wherever synthetic content is utilised.

A senior ECI official said the advisory is in line with the poll panel’s efforts to ensure responsible use of AI and social media for a level playing field. During the General Election for Lok Sabha in 2024, the Commission had issued guidelines for responsible and ethical use of social media platforms.

On Wednesday, in a bid to enhance voter awareness ahead of the Delhi assembly elections, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) R Alice Vaz launched a fleet of over 3,000 auto-rickshaws across the city’s 70 constituencies on Wednesday. The initiative aims to motivate citizens to exercise their voting rights, according to an official statement.

These auto-rickshaws will operate across all 70 Assembly constituencies, spreading awareness about the democratic process and encouraging active voter participation, it added.

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