India's electoral authority has imposed strict requirements on political parties using AI-generated content during campaigns, citing concerns that hyper-realistic synthetic media threatens fair democratic processes.
The Election Commission of India issued fresh directives ahead of Bihar state assembly polls, ordering that any AI-altered images, audio or video deployed for campaigning must carry clear, prominent labels indicating their synthetic nature.
The electoral body expressed alarm over what it termed the "misuse of hyper-realistic, synthetically generated information", including fabricated depictions of political leaders making statements they never uttered. Such content, the commission warned, "contaminates the level playing field in the electoral arena" and undermines equal conditions for all political participants.
Officials noted that technology enabling the creation, modification, and distribution of synthetic information poses particular dangers due to its capacity to masquerade as truth and mislead voters.
Under the new requirements, any synthetic content used in campaigns must display labels such as "AI-generated", "digitally enhanced" or "synthetic content" covering at least 10% of the visible display area for images and videos, or occupying the first 10% of the duration for audio materials. For video content, labels must appear at the top of the screen throughout the duration.
Additionally, all such content must prominently disclose the responsible entity's identity in metadata or accompanying captions. The commission explicitly prohibits publishing or forwarding material that misrepresents any person's identity, appearance or voice without consent in ways likely to mislead voters.
Political parties have three hours to remove synthetic content, misinformation, or manipulated materials from official channels once the content is detected or reported. They must also maintain internal records of all AI-generated campaign materials, including creator details and timestamps, for verification when requested by electoral authorities.
The directives invoke Article 324 of India's Constitution, which grants the Election Commission plenary powers to ensure free and fair elections. The body referenced earlier guidelines issued in May 2024 and January 2024 regarding responsible social media use and proper labelling of synthetic campaign content.
Officials emphasized that transparency and accountability are essential for preserving electoral integrity and voter trust—principles that synthetic media threaten when deployed without adequate disclosure.
The rules take immediate effect and apply to all general and by-elections until further notice, as India grapples with growing concerns about misinformation and deepfakes in political discourse.
The electoral commission's intervention follows draft amendments released by India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology seeking to establish legal frameworks around synthetically generated information, including deepfakes. The ministry invited public feedback on proposed changes by November 6.
India has witnessed several high-profile incidents involving AI-generated political content during recent election cycles, with fabricated videos and audio clips of politicians circulating widely on social media platforms and messaging applications before being debunked.
The Bihar assembly elections represent a significant test case for the new requirements, with the populous northern state's political contests typically attracting intense campaigning across digital platforms where synthetic content can spread rapidly.
Whether political parties will comply fully with the labeling requirements and whether voters will notice or understand such disclosures remains uncertain. The commission's directive did not detail enforcement mechanisms or potential penalties for violations.
The measures reflect broader international concerns about artificial intelligence's impact on democratic processes, with electoral authorities worldwide wrestling with similar challenges as synthetic media technology becomes increasingly accessible and sophisticated.
