ECI Makes Labelling Of AI Content Mandatory In Political Campaigns.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued an advisory pressing the importance of transparency and accountability in political campaigns, particularly with the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI).

The commission has mandated that political parties and candidates must prominently label any campaign content created or significantly altered using AI or synthetic digital technologies.

By mandating the labelling of AI-generated content, the commission is trying to empower voters to mitigate the risk of misinformation.

According to the ECI, this move is said to promote responsible and transparent campaigning while ensuring voters are adequately informed.

The commission has instructed parties to label AI-generated or enhanced content, such as images, videos, audio, and other materials, with clear disclaimers like “AI-Generated,” “Digitally Enhanced,” or “Synthetic Content.” This applies to both online and offline promotional efforts during the campaigns.

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The ECI’s advisory builds upon earlier guidelines issued during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections which instructed parties to remove deepfake content within three hours of notification and refrain from disseminating misinformation or synthetically modified content that could mislead voters.

The commission’s move comes amid recent controversies surrounding the use of AI-generated content in political campaigns.

In the Delhi elections, allegations were raised against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing AAP of deploying AI-altered materials to malign Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders.

Allegations are flying back and forth between the BJP and AAP regarding the use of AI to create deepfakes. While AAP’s Preeti Menon claims the BJP has been using AI to create misleading content, BJP’s Nitin Tyagi counters that AAP has been trying to tarnish the image of BJP leaders.

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However, to ensure compliance, the ECI has outlined specific guidelines for political parties and candidates.

These include: Prominently labelling AI-generated or enhanced content with clear disclaimers, the party has to ensure that voters are adequately informed about the use of AI-generated content and take responsibility for the content shared on their platforms.