As we stand on the cusp of the largest election year in history, where almost 4.2 billion people in 72 countries from across the world are going to cast their votes, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in impacting electoral processes looms larger than ever. Leaders and campaign managers worldwide adopt new strategies to enhance the effectiveness of the campaign and connect with voters. From highlighting popular issues to micro-targeting voters, AI has revolutionised every domain of how elections are fought. While misinformation has long been a challenge in electoral processes, it is to deceive voters or harm political opponents. The current prevalence of synthetic media, where it is difficult to discern between real and fake, during campaigns amplifies its significance.
The World Economic Forum’s ‘Global Risks Report, 2024’ found that misinformation and disinformation are the paramount short-term risk. Major tech companies are collaborating with electoral bodies to tackle this menace in their platforms. For instance, recently, Google announced that its AI chatbot will be restricted from answering any election-related queries. Google also joined hands with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to provide poll-related information through its platforms. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued an advisory asking big techs to seek approval before deploying any generative AI tool or models; however, it later withdrew, mandating only the labelling of AI-generated content. This signals the gravity of the situation. The series of steps just before the elections are to be announced emphasises the seriousness of issues and the potential of the technology to impact the election and the need for proactive responses.
Implications of AI Advancements
The widespread availability of affordable and advanced generative AI tools, along with the proliferation of digital devices, further exacerbates the challenge. Coupled with a low level of digital and technology literacy and inadequate means to verify AI-generated content adds to the complexity of combating this issue. It can have far-reaching implications for the elections, from manipulating voters to rendering existing regulatory architecture inefficient in dealing with such threats, as evident from the Slovakia incident. In the September 2023 Slovakian elections, an AI-manipulated audio recording circulated during the 48-hour media blackout period, allegedly showing the leader of the Progressive Slovakia party discussing election rigging. Although later deemed fake, its release during the blackout limited the media's ability to debunk it. The party, originally slightly behind in polls, ended up finishing second, indicating potential influence from the viral clip. This indicates the possible harms of AI at a speed which is difficult to tame and allowing little time to react and respond.
Awareness and Understanding Among Stakeholders
According to the study titled ‘What Indian Parliamentarians Think of AI?’, conducted by the Institute for Governance, Policies and Politics, New Delhi and released on 7th March 2024, highlights the significant gap between the pace of technological advancement and the lack of understanding and awareness among Indian parliamentarians. Their limited comprehension to understand and perceive the threat posed by AI further impedes their ability to effectively address these challenges, even when directed against them. Similarly, voters face difficulty in discerning the synthetic media from the real and with limited tools to verify AI-generated content, as underlined by PM Narendra Modi. According to the same report, parliamentarians perceive that AI is going to have a negative impact on society, reflecting a broader tendency towards fear mongering, a canvas often portrayed by media and technical experts themselves. A fear-mongering approach rather than a nuanced understanding of the technology and its mitigation strategies will be counterproductive in the near future. In the USA, the Federal Communications Commission responded to incidents like the use of AI-generated voice robocalls to voters by making it illegal, following an episode where an AI voice clone impersonating President Joe Biden's voice to convince Hampshire voters not to vote. The Indian government responded to the deepfake threat by mandating approval of generative AI models or tools (later withdrawn, mandating only labelling of AI-generated content), primarily driven by apprehension and adopted a more reactionary approach to the situation rather than responding with a well-calibrated, robust policy intervention. The ECI has also acknowledged the threat posed by AI to the integrity of the electoral process. Consequently, it collaborated with the big techs in countering AI-generated content meant to deceive voters. For instance, ECI met with OpenAI executive to discuss steps to prevent the misuse of AI in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Towards a Systemic Approach
Amidst this election season, it’s a critical juncture to assess the limits of AI technology and its impact on the electoral process, alongside evaluating the effectiveness of existing regulatory architecture and voters’ awareness and readiness to combat emerging technological challenges. There is a pressing need to adopt a systemic approach that enables systems to adapt to technological transformation, which can effectively counter the negative impacts. This entails investing in counter technologies to identify synthetic media, bolstering existing regulations to withstand the advancement in AI. Subsequently, prioritising initiative to enhance voters’ awareness. Equipping political candidates with the necessary understanding of AI and potential threats is crucial. Along with this, they must be equipped with the mechanism that can help them to deal with threats of AI directed towards them. Also, at the same time, leveraging AI in a constructive manner to foster stronger connections with their constituencies effectively. Adopting a holistic systems approach will serve as a guiding framework to navigate this technological wave