The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday cautioned political parties, candidates and campaigners against misusing artificial intelligence tools to create deepfakes or distort information during the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, underscoring the need to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.
With the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) now in effect following the announcement of the Bihar assembly polls and bypolls to eight constituencies on October 6, the Commission issued fresh directions reminding parties to strictly adhere to its guidelines governing the use of AI-generated and synthetic content in election campaigns.
In its statement, the poll body said, “The Commission advised the parties against misuse of AI based tools to create deep fakes that distort information or propagate misinformation over social media platforms emphasizing the need to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.”
It also directed that any synthetic or digitally altered material shared for campaigning through social media or advertisements must be clearly labeled.
“All Political Parties and their leaders, candidates and star campaigners shall take necessary measures for prominent labeling of AI-generated/synthetic content, if any, being shared for campaigning through their social media platforms or in the form of advertisements using clear notations such as ‘AI-Generated’, ‘Digitally Enhanced’, or ‘Synthetic Content’,” the ECI said.
Reiterating provisions under the MCC, the Commission said that criticism of rival parties should be confined to their “policies, programmes, past record and work” and not extend to the “private life” of leaders or workers. It also warned against making unverified allegations or distortions in campaign materials.
The ECI said it has deployed mechanisms to monitor social media platforms closely to ensure that the election atmosphere is not vitiated. “Strict watch on social media posts is being kept to ensure that the election atmosphere is not vitiated,” the statement noted.
The Commission reminded that similar directions had been issued during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to prevent misuse of AI and curb misinformation.
Bihar will vote in two phases on November 6 and 11, with counting scheduled for November 14.