Electoral Commission to issue guidance on use of AI and deep-fakes ahead of general election
In a statement, the Electoral Commission said: 'A fundamental principle of any election in this country is that the citizens have confidence in the democratic process and trust the result.'
The Electoral Commission will publish guidance into the use of AI and deep-fakes ahead of the general election.
The guidance from the election watchdog will come after Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae posted a video on his X account of a video in which he is endorsed by singer Taylor Swift.
Mr Healy-Rae acknowledged in his post that the video was fake, posting: "Some going to wake up to the news of an endorsement from Tay Tay herself. I mean haters will say it's fake (and they'd be right) but I'll just shake it off! Like, I'm not looking for a love story and don't want any bad blood.. I just want your number 1 vote when the time comes!"
The Kerry TD told Virgin Media News that the post was tongue in cheek and that not only is he not a fan of the megastar singer, he "wouldn't know her if she crossed the car park".
The use of deep-fake video and audio will, however, be subject to campaigns from the Electoral Commission in the coming weeks.
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In a statement, the commission said: âA fundamental principle of any election in this country is that the citizens have confidence in the democratic process and trust the result.
âIn advance of the general election campaign, as Irelandâs independent electoral commission, An CoimisiĂșn ToghchĂĄin will seek to publish suggested guidance for parties, candidates and platforms in respect of the standards expected during these DĂĄil elections, including âdeep fakeâ content.
âAn CoimisiĂșn will also be running our own public awareness campaigns to highlight these issues to voters directly, as well as the need for each of us to identify our own trusted sources of information for any issues associated with the election.â
The Kerry TD last week posted an AI-generated video of him "fighting" Taoiseach Simon Harris â Matrix style.
In the 20-second clip, posted on Healy-Raeâs X account, the two politicians showcase their martial arts skills as they come to blows, and battle it out on screen. During the bout, Healy-Rae can be seen sporting his famous flat cap, while Harris means business with no tie and his top button undone.
Fianna FĂĄil senator Malcolm Byrne, who said that the Taylor Swift clip was "slightly funny", said that all political parties should outline their approach for how Ireland will deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) and new technologies during the lifetime of the next Oireachtas and stressed the need for parties and candidates to commit not to misuse AI in the General Election campaign.
Mr Harris has previously said that the use of deep-fakes was a risk to both society and democracy.
âI think itâs a concern in general for society and democracy in Ireland, and indeed across Europe and globally,â the Taoiseach said. âWe have seen a number of attempts in a number of jurisdictions, indeed weâve seen some in our own with other prominent politicians."
Last year while he was Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar was stung by Russian pranksters in a hoax diplomatic call where the pair used what was called a "sophisticated deep-fake" to make Mr Varadkar believe that he was on a video call with members of the African Union. The call was ended quickly due to the suspicions of the Irish side.
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