THE VIEW FROM RIZAL

Over the weekend. Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Garcia aired a warning against people who may intend to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deceive voters in connection with the forthcoming campaign period leading up to the May 2025 midterm elections.

Chairman Garcia pointed out in particular to the possible use of “deepfake” technology, an aspect of AI. Deepfakes are the product of the digital manipulation of data to create a convincing likeness of another person or to create a fictitious person. Deepfakes are not new to us. We have seen this being used in television shows, in fun apps proliferating in social media, and in the manipulation of photos.

It appears deepfakes were originally intended to be used for entertainment, particularly in online gaming. Shadowy figures lurking in the dark corners of the internet world, however, found powerful uses of deepfakes as they engage in deception, scams, and pornography.

Chairman Garcia’s warning is timely. It is also a wake-up call and a reminder to us all that the sacred exercise of our right to elect our leaders is the constant target of malicious elements whose actions desecrate this democratic process.

Attempts to adversely influence the outcome of an elections is not recent. There are elements in our society who have attempted to do this since time immemorial. The tools were “low tech” then but not inferior in their malice compared to their high-tech, more modern counterparts. In the past, purveyors of black propaganda made use of the rumor mill through which they spread fake news. Then came the “text blast” technology. Later, social media came into the picture. Posts on Facebook and Twitter compounded the woes of serious voters who struggled to distill the truth from lies.
Voters may have to expect that the level of malice and viciousness will go up further, given the advancement in information and communication technology. AI and its deepfake application have opened the doors for new and more sophisticated ways to mislead voters, assassinate the character, and rob voters of a rational basis for selecting the candidates they will vote for.

Chairman Garcia’s warning has solid basis.

The fact is there have already been serious attempts to use AI to fool voters in a country as advanced as the United States.

For example, there were reports that shortly before the 2024 New Hampshire Democratic Party primary election, some elements used an AI-generated robocall to simulate the voice of incumbent US President Joe Biden. The AI-generated robocall reportedly urged voters “not to participate” in the primary voting. The deepfake version of President Biden told them to instead “save” their votes for the 2024 general election in the US which will happen in November this year.

We do not know the extent of the damage that the AI-generated Robocall inflicted on the Biden campaign. It may be safe to presume that there are voters who may have been led to believe that the US President recorded the message and complied with “his” request.

If that happened, there is a term for that – disenfranchisement.

The term means “deprivation of a right.” Yes, when the electorate is misled through machinations and lies, they are deprived of a sacred right.

Chairman Garcia said the Comelec will file raps against candidates who will use these latest technologies to manipulate and mislead voters. Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla backed the chairman’s move, saying “Technological advancement should not be used to spread lies.”

He pointed out that politicians who would do such act “have no good intentions, but their self-serving interests.”

Senator Imee Marcos, who chairs the Senate Electoral Reform Committee, expressed similar support. She noted that Chairman Garcia’s move would “encourage transparency throughout the campaign.” She expressed concern, however, that the Comelec may not be able to do the task of cracking down on the “growing use of computer-generated and false images online” by itself.
“I am not certain if the Comelec, or any government agency for that matter, has that capability to efficiently and timely detect the use of AI and deepfakes,” Senator Marcos said.
In a way, the statements of support by our two senators are a call to all of us to participate in the effort to prevent modern technology from disenfranchising our countrymen in the forthcoming elections. Yes, the Comelec will not be able to perform the policing role by its lonesome. We will all need to pitch in and help.

One powerful way would be to exercise vigilance and educate ourselves and others in the detection of deepfakes. Our collective effort to prevent the misuse of technology from influencing our decisions will be a major disincentive to those who intend to employ such scheme.

We also call on those who intend to throw their hat into the election arena next year to let the voters exercise their right to vote freely and wisely. The privilege of holding an elective public office should be based on the electorate’s free and wise choice. ([email protected].)