The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a firm advisory to political parties, candidates, and star campaigners ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, cautioning them against misusing artificial‑intelligence tools to create deepfakes or synthetic videos that could distort facts or spread misinformation on social media. The commission emphasized that such misuse threatens the integrity of the electoral process and that a strict watch will be kept on online content to prevent any disruption to the election atmosphere.
Under the advisory, any AI‑generated or digitally altered material used in campaigning—whether shared on social platforms or in advertisements—must be prominently labelled with clear notations such as “AI‑Generated,” “Digitally Enhanced,” or “Synthetic Content.” The ECI also reminded parties that criticism of opponents must remain confined to their policies, programmes, past records, and work, while personal attacks, unverified allegations, or distortions are strictly prohibited.
To ensure transparent and fair elections, the ECI has deployed an unprecedented force of approximately 8.5 lakh officials across Bihar, including over 4.5 lakh polling personnel, 2.5 lakh police officials, and thousands of observers, micro‑observers, and sector officers. Each of the 243 constituencies will have a dedicated General Observer, acting as the commission’s “eyes and ears” to monitor compliance and address concerns.
The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into effect immediately after the election schedule was announced on 6 October, covering both offline and online activities. The commission warned that any violation of the MCC or misuse of AI technology will invite stern action, underscoring its commitment to maintaining a free, fair, and misinformation‑free electoral environment in Bihar’s upcoming two‑phase polls on 6 and 11 November, with results slated for 14 November.
