ECI issues strict AI and deepfake disclosure rules ahead of Bihar polls

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has rolled out stringent new rules governing the use of artificial intelligence and synthetic media in political campaigning, ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.

In a fresh advisory, the Commission has directed all political parties, candidates and campaign representatives to clearly label any AI-generated or digitally altered image, video or audio used in electioneering as AI-Generated, Digitally Enhanced or Synthetic Content. The label must be prominently displayed, covering at least 10% of the visible display area in visual content and present during the first 10% of the duration in audio clips.

The advisory also mandates that such content must disclose, in its metadata or caption, the name of the entity responsible for its creation. The ECI has further warned against the use or circulation of manipulated media that misrepresents a persons identity, appearance or voice without consent, or is designed to mislead voters.

To ensure accountability, political parties will be required to remove any misleading or unlawful AI-generated content within three hours of detection. They must also maintain internal records of all synthetic campaign material used during the election period.

The move comes amid growing concerns over the misuse of deepfakes and generative AI in political communication, as the poll body aims to safeguard the integrity of electoral discourse in the digital era.

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