Hyderabad: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has rolled out a fresh set of guidelines to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and synthetic content in political campaigns, particularly in view of the upcoming Jubilee Hills Assembly Constituency bye-election.
The advisory, issued on October 24, aims to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process and curb the spread of misleading or manipulated digital material.
In an official statement on Sunday, District Election Officer and GHMC Commissioner R V Karnan has directed all political parties, candidates, and campaign teams to ensure strict adherence to these norms to maintain transparency and prevent misinformation during campaigning.
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Under the new directions, any AI-generated or synthetically altered image, video, or audio used in campaign material must carry a clear label such as “AI-Generated,” “Digitally Enhanced,” or “Synthetic Content.”
The disclosure should be prominently displayed — occupying at least 10 percent of the visual area — and, in the case of audio, announced within the first 10 percent of the clip’s duration.
In addition, such content must clearly identify the entity responsible for its creation through metadata or captions. The ECI has prohibited the production or distribution of any AI-based material that misrepresents a person’s identity, voice, or appearance without consent, or that is intended to deceive voters.
The Commission has also mandated that any misleading synthetic content detected or reported must be taken down within three hours. Political parties are required to maintain internal records of all AI-generated materials used in their campaigns.
Reinforcing the need for ethical and transparent campaigning, R V Karnan emphasized that “all political parties, candidates, and campaign representatives must strictly follow the Commission’s guidelines to uphold fairness and accountability in the Jubilee Hills bye-election.”
He further underlined that the use of AI and digital tools in politics should “strengthen, not undermine, the democratic process.”