Hyderabad: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has cautioned political parties against the misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based tools to create deepfakes or spread misinformation, emphasising the need to protect the integrity of the electoral process.

District Election Officer (DEO) RV Karnan, on Monday, October 13, issued detailed guidelines to political parties ahead of the Jubilee Hills Assembly by-election.

He said all political parties, their leaders, candidates, and star campaigners must ensure that any AI-generated or synthetic content used in campaign material is clearly identified.

“Such material circulated on social media platforms should carry appropriate labels such as ‘AI-Generated,’ ‘Digitally Enhanced,’ or ‘Synthetic Content,’ along with disclaimers where necessary,” the ECI directive stated. These rules apply to both advertisements and promotional content.

AVI slips with Braille features to be issued

In a move to make the electoral process more inclusive, the Commission has directed that Accessible Voter Information (AVI) slips with Braille features be issued to voters with visual impairments, in addition to standard Voter Information Slips (VISs).

DEO Karnan also said that all polling stations in the Jubilee Hills constituency have been arranged at ground-floor or road-entry level to ease access for differently-abled voters and senior citizens. Ramps and wheelchair assistance will be available at all polling centres, he added.