EC Calls for 'Responsible Use of AI' in Delhi Election Campaigns

The Election Commission of India on Thursday issued artificial intelligence (AI) guidelines for upcoming Delhi assembly elections. The constitutional body has written to the heads of all recognised national and state political parties, advising them to ensure responsible and transparent use of AI-generated content in their campaigns.

In a two-page guidelines signed by ECI joint director Anuj Chandak, the commission asked political parties to prominently label their campaign content, created or altered using AI or other digital means.

The Advisory

The ECI stated that the advances in AI now allow the creation of highly realistic fake content such as videos, images, and audio, which can potentially influence voter opinions and trust.

The advisory instructs all political parties to prominently label any content that has been created or significantly altered using AI. Labels such as "AI-Generated," "Digitally Enhanced," or "Synthetic Content" must be included directly on such content to make it clear to voters.

Additionally, disclaimers must be added to all campaign materials that use AI-modified content, whether shared online or through other media platforms.

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FIRs Against AAP

The advisory has come after a first information report (FIR) was filed against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for allegedly posting AI-generated photos and videos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the party’s official X handle.

On January 14, four FIRs were filed against the AAP. One accused the party of sharing an AI-altered picture of the Prime Minister in a room wearing a luxury watch. Another targeted an AI-edited spoof of an old Bollywood movie, featuring Amit Shah’s face on a character and BJP Delhi chief Virender Sachdeva’s face on another. The FIR alleged that the content posted by AAP was defamatory and misleading.

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Use of AI in Political Campaigns

For early election campaigning, the AAP shared an AI-generated video of Dr BR Ambedkar blessing party chief Arvind Kejriwal, which led to the BJP accusing AAP of misusing technology to spread misinformation and mock its leaders.

During Maharashtra state elections, BJP posted some synthetically generated voice notes through its official X account, implicating NCP-SP’s Supriya Sule in a crypto fraud which were later debunked.

During the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the EC had issued an advisory to parties in May last year, urging them to avoid the use of “deep fakes” and distorted content.

The Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has consistently cautioned against the potential of AI and deep fakes in propagating misinformation.