J. Jayalalithaa, an actress turned politician who died in 2016, for example “came back to life” in a voicemail criticizing the local government.
Indian politicians long dead miraculously brought back to life or candidates ridiculed in carefully crafted videos: artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to fuel fierce partisan campaigns as the national elections approach in India.
“Ghostly appearances” are common in the electoral campaign in the state of Tamil Nadu, in the southern part of the country.
J. Jayalalithaa, an actress turned politician in this state who passed away in 2016, reappeared in a voicemail criticizing the local government, disseminated by the opposition party.
Her former rival, Mr. Karunanidhi, who died in 2018, also appeared in videos, wearing black glasses, to praise his son, M.K. Stalin, the current Chief Minister of the state.
The recycling of “very charismatic” speakers is a new way to gain audience, said Senthil Nayagam, founder of the company Muonium, who produced the video that revived Mr. Karunanidhi, to AFP.
Internet penetration is increasing, with more than half of the 800 million Indian users located in rural areas, according to the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI), and it allows for a rapid dissemination of political messages.
A more effective method in electoral campaigns than traditional political gatherings, which remain costly in terms of resources and time, explains Mr. Nayagam. “It’s hard to bring in crowds,” he says.
But the use of technology to spread disinformation is worrying, posing “a serious threat to democracy and social institutions,” warned Communication Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in November.
AI can reproduce a politician’s voice and manipulate their image so perfectly that voters struggle to discern the truth from the falsehood.
“AI can become the most important development tool of the 21st century and can also play the most important role in the destruction of the 21st century,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned in a speech in December.
That didn’t stop his party, the BJP, from resorting to it. In fact, they were the first to use it to virtually bring Narendra Modi to rallies.
Divyendra Jadoun, a creator of AI products for The Indian Deepfaker, noted a “huge increase” in orders for this type of content.
“There is a huge risk for the upcoming elections,” said the 30-year-old, who is “sure that many are using it for unethical activities.”
While he claims to have turned down orders he didn’t approve of, “the line is very thin, sometimes even we (the pros) are deceived,” he admits.
According to him, “a large part of the country” does not understand this evolving technology and takes AI-generated content for reality. “We tend to only check videos that confirm our preconceived ideas,” he acknowledges.
AI is also used to mock or ridicule opponents, following the age-old tradition of political satire. However, the images generated by AI appear real, experts point out.
The main opposition party, Congress, circulated a doctored video in which Narendra Modi sings a song about his alleged ties to powerful businessmen.
Another opposition party, Aam Aadmi, in power in the capital New Delhi, circulated an AI-generated video where Narendra Modi runs off with a ballot box.
In another state, modified videos shared on Facebook show Muslim politician Asaduddin Owaisi singing devout Hindu chants, with a mocking caption suggesting that if the BJP wins again, “anything is possible.”
Because “it is more effective to ridicule an opponent to reduce their political chances than to call them a thug or a crook,” observes Joyojeet Pal, a specialist in the role of technology in democracy at the University of Michigan.
An increasing “polarization” between political adversaries makes, according to the expert, their supporters “more inclined” to believe false information about the opposing camp. “It’s a threat to what we can and cannot believe,” warns Mr. Pal, “it’s a threat to democracy as a whole.”
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