ECI's AI Warning: How Deepfakes Threaten India's Election Integrity

As per the advisory issued by the ECI, the misuse of synthetically generated or AI-altered content, like fake videos or deepfakes of political leaders, is harming the fairness and integrity of elections.

"I am directed to state that it has been brought to the notice of the Election Commission of India (ECI) that the misuse of hyper-realistic synthetically generated information, including depicting political leaders making electorally sensitive messages, is contaminating the level- playing field in the electoral arena, disrupting fair and equal conditions for all political participants, which is a sine qua non for preserving the integrity of the political campaigning during elections," the press release said.

"The use of technology for creating, generating, modifying and altering information and publishing and transmitting synthetically generated information is a deep threat and challenge because of its ability to masquerade as the truth and unwittingly trap political stakeholders into incorrect conclusions and therefore, ECI finds it particularly imperative to ensure that transparency and accountability is maintained to preserve electoral integrity and voter trust," the release added.

According to the ECI, such types of content can appear real, mislead voters, and distort the electoral process, posing a serious challenge to transparency and trust. The electoral body had earlier issued guidelines on May 6, 2024 and January 16, respectively, related to the ethical use of social media and advisory on labelling synthetic/AI-generated content.

The advisory issued by the ECI also states that, under Article 324 of the Constitution, all parties must strictly follow the IT Rules, 2021, ensuring due diligence and responsible content use.

Any AI-generated or altered image, audio, or video used in campaigning must have a clear and visible disclosure label. Political parties, candidates, and campaign teams are accountable for ensuring compliance, the advisory said.

The advisory aims to protect electoral integrity, ensure a level playing field, and uphold voter trust in the democratic process.

As per the advisory, the political parties are required to report any unlawful or fake content, as well as fraudulent user accounts, to the respective social media platforms. In cases where such concerns remain unresolved, they must be escalated to the Grievance Appellate Committee in accordance with Rule 3A of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

- ANI