As many countries gear up for elections this year, a battle between AI-generated and manual-generated content campaigns is in the air. Currently, AI is used increasingly to help politicians reach voters through phone conversations or chatbots and further draft ads and messages about political opponents. 

 Shamaine Daniels, a Democratic House candidate in Pennsylvania, launched an AI volunteer called Ashley to speak to voters about the campaign and ask voters about important issues to be addressed. This innovation is considered the first political phone banker to leverage generative AI technology akin to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. 

Another groundbreaking innovation is the VotivateAI tool, which was created through a collaboration between Votivate, LLC, and a Louisiana-based AI startup. It aims to revolutionise political campaigning by offering innovative solutions to campaign managers. The Campaign Assistant is one of the standout features that generates detailed campaign strategy memos based on provided race information, continuously updating them as variables change.

Additionally, VotivateAI provides an AI voice-calling tool that engages in natural conversations, potentially leveling the playing field for underdog candidates. 

As an effort to embrace AI in Indian politics, Hari Balasubramaniam, an Angel Network Investor, shared Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s AI image generated using Midjourney on LinkedIn. This post reflects a curiosity about reshaping our perception of political leaders. By envisioning and sharing such AI-generated representations, there’s an implicit aspiration to influence the public and empower individuals to reshape the narrative surrounding political leadership. 

Experts suggest that another AI approach can further enhance political campaign efforts. In addition to accessing the party’s manifesto on the website, an AI chatbot can be integrated to respond swiftly to voters’ inquiries, supported by data offering direct campaign experiences.

On the other end of AI content integration

When Pakistan went to polls early this year, Imran Kahn, Pakistan’s former prime minister, campaigned from behind bars. His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party released a video message with a voice clone of the opposition leader giving an emotional speech on his behalf. 

“Imran Khan’s voice was cloned during Pakistan elections, with his face superimposed onto an existing video. Such manipulated content, which can sway public opinion and influence voter sentiments, is bound to find its way into India, too”, mentioned Shelly Walia, Executive Editor of The Quint, emphasising the threats of AI deepfakes entering Indian politics. 

In another case, New York City Mayor Eric Aams was criticised for using AI to call city residents in many languages he doesn’t speak, including Spanish, Yiddish, and Mandarin. This was defined as an unethical and misleading way to reach potential voters. 

In a recent update, a report from the Mircosoft Threat Analysis Centre (MTAC) highlighted that China is attempting to use of AI- generated content to influence elections in several countries, including India, the US, and South Korea. It has experimented with the same during Taiwan’s presidential polls.

AI is changing the practice of campaigning 

Political campaigns can harness AI capabilities to tailor to specific localities and individuals, thereby eliminating the one-size-fits-all narrative prevalent in traditional campaigning. This hyper-localization and hyper-personalization not only enhance engagement but also ensure that constituents receive information designed to their needs and concerns.

Moreover, AI is redefining the landscape of translation and transcreation by considering context and tone holistically rather than merely translating individual words. This approach enhances communication across languages and cultures, fostering greater understanding and cooperation on a larger scale. 

Overall, AI-generated content has the potential to transform political communication and engagement in positive ways.