In the fast-approaching Indian general election, set to begin on April 19, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to make a significant impact on the campaign trail and beyond. Over the past decade, India has witnessed paradigm shifts in the use of technology for voter outreach and campaign management. The 2014 election marked the first time digital campaigning through social media made a significant impact, while the 2019 election saw the extensive use of personal messaging applications such as WhatsApp for citizen engagement.
Now, in the upcoming 2024 election, AI is set to break new ground by playing a fundamental role in expanding citizen outreach and shattering linguistic barriers. The use of AI for translating and dubbing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speeches in different languages has already shown incredible promise. Thanks to AI-generated dubbing in Tamil, the audience in Varanasi had the unique opportunity to follow the PM’s Hindi speech in real-time, marking a significant milestone in language inclusivity.
This pioneering use of AI in campaigning has successfully overcome a major linguistic barrier, challenging long-held arguments against the use of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking regions. By leveraging AI translations, PM Modi’s speeches are now available in eight different languages, including Bangla, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, Marathi, Odia, and Malayalam. This strategic move holds immense political significance, as PM Modi plans numerous rallies and campaign events across southern states, with a particular focus on Tamil Nadu.
While the full potential of AI in campaigning is still being explored, there are already multiple efforts underway across institutions and startups in India to develop AI tools that can comprehensively be used across Indian languages. The Bhashini project led by the electronics and information technology ministry has been at the forefront of these efforts, but other initiatives are also gaining momentum. Startups like Sarvam, incubated from the AI for Bharat effort at IIT Madras and now operating as an independent entity, are making their AI models available via open source. The Bharat GPT project involving various IITs and other institutions is also making significant strides in Indian language model development.
One area of focus for AI development in Indian elections is audio and video content. Research teams at IIT Kanpur are leveraging the vast Prasar Bharati repository, including archives from Doordarshan and All India Radio, to develop AI models capable of analyzing a wider range of audio and video content. This includes computer vision models fine-tuned to Indian conditions, enabling them to detect and analyze crowds at campaign events for estimating footfall and identifying real-time incidents.
However, as AI becomes increasingly prevalent in the political landscape, concerns have arisen regarding malicious use and inherent biases within generative AI models. Deepfake videos generated by AI technology and the potential misuse of biases within AI models to fuel political controversies are genuine concerns. Recognizing this, the IT ministry has issued advisories to major platforms and intermediaries, urging them to prevent the distribution of fake and illegal content. These advisories, however, have sparked anxiety within the AI startup community, leading to subsequent tweaks that reduce government intervention while still requiring labeling and consent for AI-generated content during the general election.
As the AI ecosystem in India continues to accelerate, regulatory interventions must keep pace with the use of generative AI during elections. The creation of purpose-specific tools that can be utilized by the Election Commission and other watchdogs is essential for monitoring, analyzing, and responding to any incidents of malicious AI use, including deepfakes and biased models.
Notwithstanding these concerns, the use of AI to overcome language barriers represents a defining moment in the innovative use of technology on the campaign trail. It signifies a new era of progressive politics where language acts as an instrument of empowerment rather than a tool to stoke insecurities over linguistic identity.
FAQ
1. What role does AI play in the Indian general elections?
AI is revolutionizing the Indian general elections by expanding citizen outreach and breaking language barriers. It enables the translation and dubbing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speeches, making them accessible in various languages.
2. How is AI being used to overcome linguistic barriers?
Using AI-generated translations and dubbing, PM Modi’s speeches are now available in eight different languages. This allows non-Hindi speaking regions to engage in real-time with the PM’s speeches, fostering language inclusivity.
3. What efforts are being made to develop AI tools for Indian languages?
Numerous institutions and startups in India are actively working on the development of AI tools that can comprehensively be used across Indian languages. Projects such as Bhashini, AI for Bharat, and Bharat GPT are paving the way for Indian language model development.
4. What are the concerns regarding the use of AI in elections?
There are concerns about the malicious use of AI to create deepfake videos and the potential biases within AI models that could be exploited to fuel political controversies. The IT ministry has issued advisories to prevent such misuse, but regulatory interventions must continue to keep pace with AI advancements.
5. How does the use of AI empower citizens?
By using AI to overcome language barriers, citizens are empowered to engage in the political process regardless of their linguistic identity. Language becomes an instrument of empowerment rather than a divisive tool.
In the Indian general elections, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) is set to make a significant impact on the campaign trail and beyond. Over the past decade, India has witnessed paradigm shifts in the use of technology for voter outreach and campaign management. The 2014 election marked the first time digital campaigning through social media made a significant impact, while the 2019 election saw the extensive use of personal messaging applications such as WhatsApp for citizen engagement.
Now, AI is set to break new ground in the upcoming 2024 election by playing a fundamental role in expanding citizen outreach and shattering linguistic barriers. The use of AI for translating and dubbing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speeches in different languages has already shown incredible promise. Thanks to AI-generated dubbing in Tamil, the audience in Varanasi had the unique opportunity to follow the PM’s Hindi speech in real-time, marking a significant milestone in language inclusivity.
This pioneering use of AI in campaigning has successfully overcome a major linguistic barrier, challenging long-held arguments against the use of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking regions. By leveraging AI translations, PM Modi’s speeches are now available in eight different languages, including Bangla, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, Marathi, Odia, and Malayalam. This strategic move holds immense political significance, as PM Modi plans numerous rallies and campaign events across southern states, with a particular focus on Tamil Nadu.
While the full potential of AI in campaigning is still being explored, there are already multiple efforts underway across institutions and startups in India to develop AI tools that can comprehensively be used across Indian languages. The Bhashini project led by the electronics and information technology ministry has been at the forefront of these efforts, but other initiatives are also gaining momentum.
One startup, Sarvam, incubated from the AI for Bharat effort at IIT Madras and now operating as an independent entity, is making their AI models available via open source. The Bharat GPT project involving various IITs and other institutions is also making significant strides in Indian language model development.
One area of focus for AI development in Indian elections is audio and video content. Research teams at IIT Kanpur are leveraging the vast Prasar Bharati repository, including archives from Doordarshan and All India Radio, to develop AI models capable of analyzing a wider range of audio and video content. This includes computer vision models fine-tuned to Indian conditions, enabling them to detect and analyze crowds at campaign events for estimating footfall and identifying real-time incidents.
However, as AI becomes increasingly prevalent in the political landscape, concerns have arisen regarding malicious use and inherent biases within generative AI models. Deepfake videos generated by AI technology and the potential misuse of biases within AI models to fuel political controversies are genuine concerns. Recognizing this, the IT ministry has issued advisories to major platforms and intermediaries, urging them to prevent the distribution of fake and illegal content.
As the AI ecosystem in India continues to accelerate, regulatory interventions must keep pace with the use of generative AI during elections. The creation of purpose-specific tools that can be utilized by the Election Commission and other watchdogs is essential for monitoring, analyzing, and responding to any incidents of malicious AI use, including deepfakes and biased models.
Notwithstanding these concerns, the use of AI to overcome language barriers represents a defining moment in the innovative use of technology on the campaign trail. It signifies a new era of progressive politics where language acts as an instrument of empowerment rather than a tool to stoke insecurities over linguistic identity.
For more information on the use of AI in elections, you can visit the following link: India Voting Info.
The source of the article is from the blog rugbynews.at