The Indian experience with AI in elections serves as an example for the rest of the world, demonstrating the potential for AI to make democracy more accessible and enhance participatory democracy. Despite the technology's ability to produce nonconsensual deepfakes, its consensual uses can make democracy more accessible. The Indian government is already using these platforms to provide services to citizens in their native languages, suggesting that, if used ethically, AI could usher in a new era in representative governance.
Key takeaways:
- During the 2024 Indian elections, political parties extensively used AI technologies, including deepfake impersonations of candidates and deceased politicians, for targeted communication with their constituencies.
- AI was also used for real-time translation of speeches, enabling politicians to connect with voters in regions where their native language is not easily understood.
- Despite fears of disinformation, AI was primarily used constructively in the election, making democracy more accessible and enabling more individualized communication across linguistically and ethnically diverse constituencies.
- India's use of AI in elections serves as an example for the rest of the world, highlighting the potential for AI to play a positive role in deliberative democracy and representative governance, if used safely and ethically.