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Election Commission Of India logo.
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New Delhi: Election Commission on Thursday urged parties not to misuse artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools to create deep fakes to distort information or propagate misinformation over social media, saying such actions compromise the integrity of the electoral process during the Bihar Assembly election.
It also asked parties, leaders, star campaigners and candidates to label AI-generated or synthetic content shared during the campaigning through their social media platforms or in the form of advertisements as 'AI-generated', 'Digitally enhanced', or 'Synthetic content'. Similar instructions were also issued earlier.
In a statement, the Election Commission said the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which has come into force in Bihar, applies to the content being posted on the internet, including social media, by candidates and parties.
Criticism of opponents should be confined to their policies and programmes, past record and work and parties and candidates must refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life not connected with the public activities of the leaders or workers of other parties, the Election Commission said, citing the MCC.
Criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion must be avoided, it said, while advising the parties against the misuse of AI-based tools to create deep fakes that are used for campaigning on social media, emphasising the need to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.
Strict watch on social media posts is being kept to ensure that the election atmosphere is not vitiated, and elaborate arrangements are being made to ensure the effective implementation of the MCC. Any violation of these guidelines would be dealt with strictly, it said.
Officials said around 4.3 lakh security personnel, including 1.5 lakh paramilitary personnel, will be deployed across the State to ensure free and fair Assembly elections on November 6 and 11.