Senators back poll chief's aim to ban 'AI deepfake' as campaign materials
By Dhel Nazario
Senators expressed support for Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia's aim to prohibit using "AI deepfakes" as election campaign materials.
Sen. Imee Marcos, who chairs the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People's Participation said that she welcomes such a ban since it will encourage transparency throughout the campaign process.
"However, I am not certain if the COMELEC, or any government agency for that matter, presently has the capability to efficiently and timely detect the use of AI and deepfakes," she added.
Comelec has yet to explain in detail the technical aspect of detecting the use of AI.
Meanwhile, Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. said that it's only right for Comelec to do such a thing since the use of AI deepfake is just technological advancement used in the proliferation of lies.
"Falsehoods and lies should have no place in our democratic processes," he said.
"At malinaw na ang gagamit niyan ay walang magandang intensyon kundi pansariling interes lamang (It's clear that that whoever will use that has no good intention but only personal interests)," he added.
In a letter dated May 28 to the Comelec En Banc, Garcia stressed the growing concern among election management experts in various jurisdictions regarding the threat of AI technology and deepfake to "sow deceit misinformation between and among voters and candidates for elections."
He said he would convince the Comelec En Banc to prohibit AI deepfake as campaign materials.
"Kukumbinsihin ko po ang ating Commission En Banc na ipagbawal namin sa campaign ang paggamit ng deepfakes at AI (Artificial Intelligence) sapagkat madami ang nalilito, misrepresentation, madaming hindi makatotohanan na nangyayari kapag ginagamit po yan (I will convince the Commission En Banc for us to prohibit in campaign the use of deepfakes and AI because a lot are confused, there's misrepresentation, there a lot of unreal things that are bound to happen when these are used)," he said.
"Dapat po kapag kampanya, ikaw mismo ang nakikita ng sambayanan (During campaigns the people should see the actual person),"he added.