KOCHI: A sea of people waving BJP flags and following a political figure standing atop a jeep may appear to be a real rally by Narendra Modi or Amit Shah, but it is, in fact, an AI-generated video featuring a party candidate contesting the Kerala elections.
In the clip, BJP candidate P. R. Sivasankar, who is contesting the 9 April polls from the Ernakulam Assembly constituency, appears to lead a massive procession, with men, women, and children lining the streets holding Indian tricolours and BJP flags.
The visuals are striking and highly convincing.
As campaigning intensifies ahead of the crucial elections, war rooms of major political parties, including the Left, the Congress, and the NDA, are increasingly producing such content to influence voters in an ever more digitally driven society.
Compared with previous Assembly elections, political messaging this time is being shaped by synthetic videos and edited visuals that blur the line between reality and fiction, making it difficult for voters to distinguish between what is real and what is not.
Indeed, the real electoral battle is now being fought in the digital space.
Congress candidate from Angamaly and sitting MLA Roji M. John said the party is using AI-generated videos to communicate its ideas to the public.
To target the ruling Left over the Sabarimala missing gold issue, the Congress has created AI-generated videos featuring Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other Left leaders, alleging their involvement.
John added that, apart from this, individual candidates are also using AI to promote their campaigns in their respective constituencies.
“It is all issue-based, such as the Sabarimala gold loss matter. We have created several AI-based videos highlighting the role of the CPI(M) in it,” he told PTI.
As part of efforts to connect more effectively with voters, parties are also using AI-generated videos featuring their late leaders.
John said the Congress is using images of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to create AI-driven campaign content.
Kannan, who manages Sivasankar’s social media presence, said that most AI content generation has been outsourced to third parties, including influencers, public relations agencies, and bloggers, a trend common across political parties.
“Some of them are creating content using the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spread the party’s message and highlight candidates’ plans for their constituencies and the state as a whole,” he said.
The content is tailored to specific voter bases and target groups, such as younger audiences who may not be deeply engaged in politics.
“We are also planning to launch a chatbot to better connect with voters,” he added.
Explaining further, he said AI-generated content can be used to depict potential development in a constituency if a BJP candidate wins.
“The development projects are shown like a slideshow in the background of the candidate’s image,” Kannan explained.
The BJP ally Twenty20 party is also open to using AI-generated content in its campaign, although some of the third-party agencies it has engaged for public relations do not share this view.
Jayan, whose agency is among those handling the party’s social media campaign, said he opposes the use of AI-generated content due to concerns over credibility.
“We promote candidates and the party through digital marketing using traditional platforms such as Google and Meta. It is very straightforward — no AI. We avoid it to maintain credibility,” he said.
However, Leena, the campaign manager of Twenty20, disagreed.
“It is not Twenty20’s policy to avoid using AI,” she told PTI.
While the Congress and the BJP are actively deploying AI in their campaigns, the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) has taken a more restrained approach.
Nripan Das, social media manager for State Finance Minister K. N. Balagopal, who is contesting from the Kottarakkara Assembly constituency, said AI has been used sparingly.
“We have used AI for a poster and to highlight some government initiatives, such as distributing menstrual cups and installing sanitary pad disposal units in schools,” he said.
Public opinion on AI-generated political content remains divided.
Shaji M, a hairdresser from Thiruvananthapuram, views such videos largely as entertainment and does not take them seriously.
Raju, a milk vendor from Adoor in Pathanamthitta district, expressed a similar sentiment.
“I smile whenever I see AI videos about the Sabarimala gold loss issue,” he said.
However, Binu Sankar, a banker from Kollam, offered a different perspective.
“While these AI videos are entertaining, the issues they highlight tend to stay in people’s minds because they are presented in a humorous way,” he said.