The use of AI-generated images in political campaigns is not unique to India. In the US, supporters of Donald Trump used fake AI images of him posing with Black voters, while in Argentina and Indonesia, presidential hopefuls used AI-generated images to boost their popularity. However, there is a disparity in how platforms in the West and the Global South are tackling the trend of AI images ahead of elections. For instance, popular AI image-generator Midjourney banned the creation of fake images of Joe Biden and Donald Trump, but there have been no such steps in India.
Key takeaways:
- The right-wing Instagram page Hokage Modi Sama has been promoting AI-generated images of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, depicting him as a reincarnation of Bhishma from the Hindu epic Mahabharata, and other Hindu figures, as part of a political advertisement campaign.
- Between February 27 and March 21, the page promoted nearly 50 pieces of AI-generated images of Modi, making it the leading advertiser of such images on Instagram, according to a review of Meta Ad Library data.
- Meta has announced that starting January, political advertisements on Instagram and Facebook created using artificial intelligence (AI) will have to disclose the use or risk getting banned. However, the AI advertisements by Hokage Modi Sama do not carry the required labels, and Meta has not clarified whether these ads violate its policies.
- AI-generated images are being used in political campaigns worldwide, not just to deceive voters but also to build narratives. However, there is a disparity in how platforms in the West and the Global South are tackling this trend, with AI image-generator Midjourney banning the creation of fake images of US politicians but not taking similar steps in India.