India’s Election Commission has urged all political parties to avoid using AI-generated deepfakes in the 2024 election.
India’s nearly 970 million eligible voters have started casting ballots in a staggered general election process that will select the country’s next government and prime minister.
India, which is the world’s most populous nation, began its general elections on April 19, with the voting process set to conclude on June 1. However, the election has already been disrupted by the use of AI technology to spread misinformation.
Political campaigns have been using AI-generated deepfake versions of politicians to reach Indian voters in the world’s largest ever election. For example, a viral video in India shows the country’s prime minister Narendra Modi dancing to the song Gangnam Style.
On Monday, India’s Election Commission issued an advisory to all political parties telling them to refrain from using deepfakes and other forms of misinformation in their social media posts during the country’s general elections.
According to TechCrunch, the advisory requires political parties to remove any deepfake audio or video within three hours of becoming aware of its existence. Parties are also advised to identify and warn the individuals responsible for creating the manipulated content.
TechCrunch reports that the Election Commission’s action follows a Delhi High Court order asking the body to resolve the matter after the issue was raised in a petition.
The constitutional body has faced criticism for not doing enough to combat deepfakes and information such campaigns in India, which is home to over 1.5 billion people.
According to the publication, the Indian police recently arrested at least six people from the social media teams of the Indian National Congress — which is the country’s top opposition party — for circulating a fake video showing Home Minister Amit Shah making statements he claims he never made.
It is not only the Indian general elections that are being affected by AI technology. Last year, a former Google CEO expressed concern that the 2024 U.S. presidential election would be a “mess” because of AI images.
The comments came after Republican party made an entirely AI-generated video depicting what will allegedly happen in Joe Biden wins a second term in office.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.