The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a stern directive, urging all political parties to strictly avoid the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Specifically, the ECI is cracking down on the creation of deepfakes and other AI-generated content that could spread misinformation or distort facts on social media during election campaigns.
In a detailed statement, the ECI emphasized that all political parties, their leaders, candidates, and prominent campaigners must visibly label any AI-generated or synthetic content used for campaigning. This includes content shared on social media or in advertisements, which must clearly state ‘AI-Generated,’ ‘Digitally Enhanced,’ or ‘Synthetic Content’ to inform the public.
To safeguard the integrity of the electoral process, the Commission is maintaining a vigilant watch over social media activity. They have meticulously prepared for the rigorous enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) guidelines, promising severe action against any infractions.
The statement further elaborated on the MCC’s provisions regarding criticism: all critiques of opposing parties must be limited to their policies, programs, past performance, and official work. It explicitly prohibits attacks on the private lives of leaders or party workers that are unrelated to their public roles. Furthermore, campaigns must steer clear of criticism founded on unverified allegations or deliberate distortions.
For the Bihar elections, the ECI is mobilizing approximately 8.5 lakh officials to guarantee complete transparency. This extensive team comprises about 4.53 lakh polling staff, 2.5 lakh police officers, 28,370 counting personnel, 17,875 micro-observers for polling, 9,625 sector officers, 4,840 micro-observers for vote counting, and up to 90,712 Anganwadi Sevikas.
Marking a significant first, the ECI has appointed one General Observer for each of Bihar’s 243 constituencies, ensuring direct oversight and acting as the Commission’s crucial on-ground representatives. Complementing this, 38 Police Observers and 67 Expenditure Observers have also been designated to monitor specific aspects of the election.