Syllabus
GS Paper 2 – Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.
Applications where to apply?
When asked about
– Misinformation
– Deepfakes
– Free and fair elections
Context
The widespread application of Artificial Intelligence is likely to cause a paradigm shift in almost every aspect of an election.
Source
The Hindu | Editorial dated 2nd April 2024
AI in elections, the good, the bad and the ugly
In the rapidly evolving landscape of political campaigns, the integration of technology has continually reshaped electoral strategies. From the use of phone calls to the era of social media dominance, India has witnessed a progression towards more technologically advanced methods. The upcoming 2024 general election is poised to mark a significant milestone as it is likely to be India’s “first AI election,” where Artificial Intelligence (AI) will play a pivotal role in shaping campaign strategies and voter engagement.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial general intelligence (AGI) is the representation of generalized human cognitive abilities in software so that, when faced with an unfamiliar task, the AGI system can find a solution.
Evolution of AI in Elections
1990s to early 2000s
- Minimal use of technology for voter engagement and campaign management.
- Traditional methods like phone calls became prevalent.
2007
- Uttar Pradesh Assembly election marks the beginning of technology integration with the introduction of mass mobile phone usage in campaigns.
2014
- Social media platforms gain prominence in political campaigns, with the Indian elections being termed as the “social media elections.”
- A paper in the Asian Journal of Political Science, in 2015, titled “India 2014: Facebook ‘Like’ as a Predictor of Election Outcomes” showed a high positive correlation between the number of ‘likes’ a party or its leader secured on their official Facebook fan page and their popular vote share.
- Use of holograms in 2014 was also a noted feature.
2019
- Emergence of WhatsApp as a significant tool in political messaging, with the 2019 elections being labeled as the “first WhatsApp election.”
- How to Win an Indian Election (2019), former election campaign consultant Shivam Shankar Singh explained that WhatsApp is “an effective political platform because it allows for targeted delivery of information to voters and also because it allows an excellent tool to organize and mobilize party workers”.
- Increased reliance on digital platforms for voter outreach and mobilization.
2020s
- AI starts playing a more prominent role in campaign strategies, enabling instant responses and precise targeting of voters.
- Deepfake technology becomes a growing concern, posing risks of misinformation and voter manipulation.
2024 and beyond
- Anticipated as the era of “AI elections,” where AI-driven technologies significantly influence campaign dynamics and voter engagement.
- Governments and tech companies begin acknowledging the challenges posed by AI in elections and take initial steps towards regulation and mitigation.
Benefits of AI in Elections
- Enhanced Responsiveness:
- AI empowers political campaigns to swiftly respond to unfolding events.
- Generating real-time videos, speeches, or press releases that wield significant influence over voter perceptions and shape the dynamics of the campaign.
- Eg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reach to a variety of linguistic groups, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to translate his speeches into eight different languages ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
- Precision Targeting:
- Leveraging vast amount of microdata, AI facilitates the precise targeting of specific voter demographics with tailored messages, a pivotal strategy in swaying the opinions of undecided voters.
- Streamlined Campaign Operations:
- AI streamlines campaign operations by facilitating micro-targeting of potential voters, conducting data analysis, and forecasting outcomes with enhanced efficiency, thereby optimizing overall campaign strategies.
- Informed Voter Outreach:
- AI equips political entities with the capability to furnish voters with targeted information regarding candidates and political parties, potentially fostering greater levels of informed participation among the electorate.
- Robust Election Management:
- Utilizing AI tools, election authorities can effectively manage and fortify the electoral process, bolstering its resilience against fraudulent activities and ensuring its integrity.
Challenges of AI in Elections
- Threat of Deepfake Elections:
- The proliferation of AI-generated counterfeit audio and video content has the potential to disseminate misleading propaganda, paving the way for the proliferation of deepfakes in forthcoming elections.
- Eg. Deepfakes were used in the recent Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, either through doctored clips of the game show “Kaun Banega Crorepati” or a fake video of a leader allegedly pushing voters to support their opponent.
- Deceptive Messaging:
- The escalating risk posed by AI-generated disinformation may erode voters’ ability to discern factual information from fabricated content.
- Eg. In New Hampshire, voters received a phone call purportedly from U.S. President Joe Biden, but it was actually a robocall generated by artificial intelligence. The intention behind this AI-generated call was to discourage Democratic voters from going to the polls on election day.
- Affordable Fabrication:
- The advent of generative AI has markedly reduced the cost and heightened the sophistication of deepfake production, facilitating the creation of hyper-realistic counterfeit material at minimal expense.
- Threat to free and fair elections:
- Malicious utilization of AI technologies poses a grave threat to democratic processes, fuelling the dissemination of false information and manipulation of public sentiment.
- Rising Influence of Generative AI:
- Projections suggest that disinformation campaigns will increasingly leverage generative AI to amplify fabricated narratives, posing a significant risk of destabilizing societal foundations.
Steps taken to regulate AI
- Advisory Mandate: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued a directive instructing social media intermediaries and platforms to ensure that their AI tools do not compromise the integrity of the electoral process.
- Self-Regulation Initiatives: AI platforms are adopting measures to restrict the types of political inquiries they address, with the aim of avoiding the dissemination of contentious responses.
- Algorithmic Content Filters: Platforms are deploying algorithmic filters at the code level to prevent AI systems from generating responses to queries containing specific keywords associated with sensitive political issues.
- Restricted Response Mechanisms: Platforms such as Google’s chatbot Gemini are employing mechanisms to limit responses to election-related queries in India, thereby mitigating the risk of controversy and misinformation.
Conclusion
As India prepares for the 2024 general election, the role of AI in shaping electoral outcomes cannot be ignored. While AI presents unprecedented opportunities for enhancing campaign effectiveness, it also poses significant risks in terms of misinformation and manipulation. As technology continues to evolve, policymakers and electoral authorities must remain vigilant in safeguarding the integrity of democratic processes against the disruptive effects of AI.
Related Topics
Deepfakes
Deepfakes represent synthetic media crafted through AI techniques to manipulate or fabricate visual and audio content, typically with the aim of misleading or deceiving individuals.
Process of Deepfake Creation
- Deepfakes are generated utilizing a method known as generative adversarial networks (GANs), involving two neural networks in competition: a generator and a discriminator.
- The generator endeavours to produce counterfeit images or videos that closely resemble reality, while the discriminator endeavours to differentiate between authentic and fabricated content.
- Through iterative feedback from the discriminator, the generator refines its output until it achieves a level of realism sufficient to deceive the discriminator.
Data Requirements and Sourcing
Deepfake creation necessitates a substantial volume of data, including photographs or videos of both the source and target individuals, often procured from the internet or social media platforms without their explicit consent or awareness.
Integration within Deep Synthesis
Deepfakes are a component of Deep Synthesis, a broader domain that employs technologies like deep learning and augmented reality to generate text, images, audio, and video, thereby crafting virtual scenes and experiences.
References
The Hindu- Many-Elections-AI’s-dark-dimension
Related PYQ
In the light of recent controversy regarding the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), what are the challenges before the Election Commission of India to ensure the trustworthiness of elections in India? [UPSC 2018]
Practice Question
Discuss the significance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in shaping electoral strategies, with a focus on its potential impact on the democratic process in India. [250 words]
How to approach this Question?
Introduction (50 words)
- Start by defining Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its growing significance in various sectors.
- Briefly mention its role in shaping electoral strategies and impacting the democratic process.
Body (150 words)
- Discuss the role of AI in electoral strategies:
- Micro-targeting and personalization: Explain how AI’s ability to analyze vast datasets enables political parties to micro-target voters with personalized content.
- AI as a campaign strategist: Discuss how political parties are increasingly turning to AI for a competitive edge.
- Discuss the potential impact on the democratic process in India:
- The transformative impact of AI on campaigns and elections.
- The potential for misuse, such as the spread of misinformation.
- The need for robust regulatory frameworks to govern the use of AI in elections.
Conclusion (50 words)
- Summarize the potential of AI in transforming electoral strategies and its implications for democracy.
- Highlight the need for ethical considerations and regulatory frameworks to ensure the integrity of the democratic process.
Remember to provide a balanced answer, incorporating relevant facts and figures, and propose feasible solutions. Structure your answer well, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Also, ensure that your answer is within the word limit specified for the exam. Good luck!