Will AI 'help' you vote next election?
AI likely to play a role in the next general elections? The technology is just about rolling out in local languages and may not acquire the sophistication over the next few months to influence voter behaviour significantly. Distribution channels for information such as social media platforms have put in place internal controls and have established a level of engagement with regulators over disinformation. Two-thirds of the country's population is still not on Facebook or WhatsApp, thereby limiting their broadcast strength.
GoI is pushing through legislation to protect privacy and curb disinformation, while local administrators have become overly enthusiastic about internet shutdowns on trivial grounds like cheating in exams.
The bigger risk is of spreading misinformation through pre-internet informal networks that have been remarkably efficient. Pre-Independence systems have been in place to check this. They are not perfect, but the administration does have a handbook for bandobast.
New-age information intermediaries are getting a sense of official prickliness to objectionable content with a surge in take-down requests. X, nee Twitter, has taken GoI to court over this.
Political campaigning in India is overwhelmingly dependent on personal outreach, which limits transmission but makes policing more difficult. Yet, roughly a third of the electorate is exposed to new channels of communication where AI can help profile and target messaging.
The legal protective structure is evolving and administrative response is creaky. All manner of entities have access to individuals' data as the law comes into force. The broad electoral process may retain its integrity.
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