AI (symbolic photo)
– Photo: Amar Ujala
Expansion
Before the general elections, political parties are making every possible effort to woo voters. Cybersecurity experts have raised concerns about the misuse of AI and other technologies, including deepfake technology, to influence voters. Lok Sabha elections in India will be held in seven phases between April 19 and June 1. The Election Commission of India has already issued Standard Operating Procedure for identification and prompt response to fake news and misinformation.
A senior Delhi Crime Branch official said that deepfake videos and voice cloning are two tools which can be used on a large scale during the election campaign. He believes that a big challenge before the police is to detect such material in time and take prompt action. There is no technology available that can differentiate between real and fake videos created using AI.
“By the time it is noticed, the damage has already been done as it spreads on social media,” the official said. A robocall imitating President Joe Biden’s voice during the Democratic Party’s New Hampshire primary in the US in January 2024 falsely advised voters not to participate. Claiming that it would affect his eligibility for the general elections.
In Slovakia an AI-generated voice, imitating a liberal candidate, discussing a plan to raise alcohol prices and rig the election was widely circulated on Facebook. Similarly, a manipulated audio clip falsely implicated a presidential candidate in a scheme to manipulate ballots during the February 2023 Nigerian elections. In Bangladesh, deepfake videos of opposition politicians Rumin Farhana in a bikini and Nipun Roy in a swimming pool surfaced on social media ahead of national elections.
