Impact of Artificial Intelligence(AI) in Elections
Impact of Artificial Intelligence(AI) in Elections
GS-2,3: Government Policies & Interventions; Scientific innovation
(IAS/UPPCS)
Relevant for Prelims:
Difference between AI and GAI, Deepfake technology, Election Commission, Lok Sabha Elections, 2024.
Relevant for Mains:
Impact of AI in elections, Government of India's efforts for better use of AI in elections, Way forward, Conclusion.
04/04/2024
Source: The Hindu
Context:
Currently, AI is bringing changes in various fields globally and even the political scenario has not remained untouched by it. Recently, it was found that the widespread application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is likely to change almost every aspect related to elections.
- In India, AI has started playing an important role in elections, reshaping campaign strategies and voter engagement.
- For example, recently BJP used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to translate the Prime Minister's speech into eight different languages before the Lok Sabha elections.
- This general election can potentially be considered as India's first AI election. In fact, technology plays the role of a double-edged sword, hence there is a strong possibility of Artificial Intelligence having positive and negative impact on Indian elections.
Impact of AI in Elections:
Positive impact:
Campaign Strategies:
- AI can analyze large amounts of data to identify key issues, predict voter preferences, and develop targeted campaign messages.
- AI can also help political parties understand voter behavior, tailor their messages to specific demographics, and optimize their campaign strategies.
Monitoring misinformation:
- AI can analyze large amounts of data to identify patterns and flag potential misinformation.
- It is especially useful in monitoring social media platforms for fake news during election periods.
Voter Registration and Identification:
- AI can help in the voter registration process and in identifying voters, ensuring that every citizen gets their rightful vote.
Preventing interference in elections:
- AI companies are taking steps to ensure that their technology does not interfere with elections.
- For example, OpenAI has committed to developing tools to detect misleading AI-generated content and take action on such content on its services.
Regulatory Measures:
- The Union IT Ministry has issued advisories to AI companies to ensure that their services do not generate responses that are illegal under Indian laws or jeopardize the integrity of the electoral process.
Collaboration with technology platforms:
- There has been a call for greater coordination between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and major technology platforms to tackle misinformation and disinformation.
Addressing AI-driven misinformation:
- AI companies are working on making it more obvious if images are AI-generated and are planning to put an icon on images to indicate that it is AI-generated.
Negative Impact
Spread of disinformation:
- However, the use of AI in elections also raises concerns about the spread of disinformation.
- The rapid growth of generic AI, which can generate convincing text, images and video, has raised fears that this technology could be used to influence major elections.
- It involves the creation of deeply fake or fabricated realistic looking images.
Lack of transparency:
- Another concern is the complexity of AI models. The inner workings of these models are often opaque, making it difficult to understand how they make decisions.
- This may give rise to issues of accountability and fairness.
Undermining the democratic ethos:
- The ugly side of AI in elections is its potential to undermine democratic processes.
- Dishonest actors can use AI to manipulate public opinion, spread fake news, and even influence election outcomes.
Privacy and Data Security:
- With AI systems collecting and analyzing large amounts of data, there are legitimate concerns about how this data is used and who has access to it.
Regulatory Concerns:
- Government of India has issued advisories to generative AI companies. These advisories state that AI systems should not generate responses that are illegal under Indian laws or jeopardize the integrity of the electoral process.
- Platforms that currently provide 'under-testing/untrusted' AI systems to Indian users must explicitly seek prior permission from the central government.
Potential for misuse:
- There are concerns that AI is being used to influence politics and even persuade people not to vote.
- For example, a robocall was broadcast to voters using fake audio of a political personality, urging them to stay at home during the elections.
Efforts of Government of India for better use of AI in elections:
Issuance of advisories for digital platforms:
- Government of India has asked digital platforms to provide technical and business process solutions to prevent and eliminate misinformation that harms society and democracy.
- The government said the legal framework against deepfakes and disinformation will be finalized after the elections.
- The government also said the companies should not generate responses that are illegal under Indian laws or "jeopardize the integrity of the electoral process".
Collaboration:
- ECI worked with leading technology firms, including OpenAI, to develop strategies to combat AI-driven misinformation and enhance the security of the electoral process.
- It aims to identify potential vulnerabilities in the election ecosystem and deploy AI solutions to detect and neutralize threats such as deepfakes or automated bots spreading misinformation.
Google-ECI Partnership:
- Google has partnered with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to prevent the spread of misinformation during the general elections. Google is committed to providing trusted information and preventing misleading AI-generated content.
Guidelines for political advertisements on digital platforms:
- By establishing such policies, the ECI seeks to ensure that voters are informed about the source and intent of the content they encounter, thereby reducing the risk of manipulation through micro-targeted advertisements.
Voter-friendly environment:
- To boost public trust and counter the potential spread of misinformation, the ECI is also investing in public awareness campaigns.
- It aims to educate voters about the risks associated with digital content and encourage critical engagement with information sources, increasing voters' resilience against disinformation.
Multidimensional Approach:
- ECI's approach to regulatory measures, technological solutions and public education reflects its commitment to maintaining the integrity of the electoral process in the age of AI.
- Use in Kolkata: The Election Commission in Kolkata is planning to use AI for early detection of irregularities at sensitive booths during the Lok Sabha elections.
Way forward:
Regulation Framework:
- There is a need to establish a precise legal framework mechanism for the use of AI in elections, such as rules on data protection, transparency in AI-powered advertising and standards for ethical use of AI.
Collaboration:
- Governments and electoral bodies should collaborate with technology companies to combat misinformation and secure electoral processes.
- Policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society should collaborate to develop policies and practices that support the responsible use of AI technologies.
- Example: Recently, companies like OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, and Google signed a pledge last month to fight AI content that could be construed as misleading during elections.
Public Awareness:
- Educating the public about the challenges of AI-generated misinformation can empower voters to evaluate information critically.
- Campaigning against disinformation requires campaigns that promote digital literacy and critical thinking.
Technical Solution:
- It is time to develop AI systems capable of detecting and flagging misinformation and deepfakes.
- There is a need to develop ethical AI that prioritizes transparency and accountability.
Other important issues to consider:
- The threat from AI-generated deepfakes that could potentially influence elections, become ammunition for revenge porn, or help create pedophilia material must also be taken into account.
Maintain Privacy:
- Responsible development and deployment of AI is desirable to minimize risks to personal privacy and civil liberties.
- AI algorithms should be designed to minimize the collection and processing of personal data and ensure that data is kept secure and confidential.
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Difference between AI and GAI:
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Conclusion:
AI has immense potential in ensuring election integrity, and can play a transformative role in ensuring election integrity. However, it is also necessary to address related challenges such as data privacy, algorithmic bias and digital divide. It is important to have a strong regulatory framework to guide the use of AI in elections, and there is a need to ensure that the use of AI does not compromise democratic values of fairness and transparency.
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Mains Question:
Critically examine the impact of “Artificial Intelligence (AI)” in Indian elections.
Evaluate the efforts of the Government of India for better use of AI in elections.