Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing the way political campaigns are conducted across the UK and Ireland. Advanced tools like personalized messaging, deepfake videos, and automated content moderation are streamlining campaign strategies and boosting efficiency. However, these innovations also spark significant debates about transparency, fairness, and their potential impact on the democratic process.
One of the most transformative applications of AI in politics is voter sentiment analysis. By harnessing machine learning algorithms and natural language processing, campaigns can process vast amounts of data from social media, news platforms, and public discussions in real-time. This enables political teams to understand voter emotions, spot emerging trends, and refine their messaging to connect more effectively with the electorate.
While these capabilities offer unprecedented insights, they also raise critical concerns about privacy, ethical boundaries, and the potential misuse of AI to influence voter behavior.
Why AI Is Changing the Game?
Campaign teams are using AI to analyze voter behavior, fine-tune messaging, and roll out content faster than ever. On the flip side, these same technologies can be used to mislead voters, create fake media, and micro-target people in ways that dodge public oversight. There’s a constant push and pull between innovation and accountability. Another critical aspect of AI in campaigns is its role in enhancing voter engagement through personalization. By leveraging vast amounts of data, AI tools can tailor messages to resonate deeply with individual voters based on their interests, demographics, and past interactions. While this creates opportunities for more meaningful connections between candidates and constituents, it also raises concerns about privacy and the ethical boundaries of using personal data for political purposes.
How Major Platforms Are Responding:
TikTok
- TikTok has taken steps to distance itself from political influence by banning all political ads and directing users to official election resources. It has also restricted political accounts from monetizing their content. However, enforcement has proven inconsistent. In one test, over half of fake Irish political ads slipped through the platform's moderation before eventually being removed. Now, EU regulators are stepping in, urging TikTok to enforce stricter measures.
- In addition to political ads, TikTok has come under fire for its role in spreading misinformation. Viral videos with false or misleading claims can rapidly reach millions, shaping public opinion and creating confusion. While TikTok has introduced fact-checking systems and teamed up with third-party organizations to flag false information, critics say these actions often come too late. As a result, harmful narratives can spread unchecked before they're addressed, highlighting the need for more proactive solutions.
Meta (Facebook and Instagram)
- Meta requires political advertisers to verify their identity and include a “Paid for by” label on all ads. Starting in early 2024, ads featuring AI-generated visuals or audio must also display a clear warning to inform viewers.
- Meta's Ad Transparency Tools: To promote transparency and accountability, Meta has launched advanced ad transparency tools. These tools allow users to access detailed information about political ads, such as funding sources, targeting strategies, and audience reach. By offering access to the Ad Library, Meta empowers users to stay informed, engage more critically with content, and helps combat the spread of misinformation across its platforms.
Google and YouTube
- These platforms have taken significant steps to increase transparency around political and issue-based advertising. Only verified advertisers are permitted to run such ads. Since late 2023, they’ve required clear disclaimers on any ad that features AI-altered voices or imagery. In July 2024, the rules became even stricter, making it easier for users to identify synthetic content and reducing the risk of voters being misled.
X (formerly Twitter)
- X has adopted a far more lenient stance. Unlike other major platforms, it has yet to implement strong safeguards against political deepfakes. Lawmakers in the United States are now urging the company to introduce clear, enforceable policies to prevent misuse during election campaigns. As leading platforms like Google continue raising their standards, X is facing increasing pressure to take responsibility and adopt similar measures.
Across the board, tech companies are starting to take transparency more seriously. But enforcement is still uneven, especially in smaller languages and across different regions.
How Policymakers Can Respond to AI in Political Campaigns
Introduce Clear Rules on AI Use in Campaigns
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What to do: Require labels on AI-generated political content and ensure all political ads are traceable via public registries.
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Example: The EU AI Act (2024) mandates that AI-generated or manipulated content must be clearly labelled, especially in high-risk sectors like elections.
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Example: The European Commission’s Proposal on Political Advertising requires platforms to disclose who paid for ads, how they were targeted, and the cost.
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Why it helps: Increases transparency, helps voters identify manipulated content, and prevents covert influence campaigns.
Enforce with Audits and Penalties
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What to do: Introduce oversight bodies with the power to audit campaigns, investigate breaches, and issue fines.
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Example: Ireland’s Electoral Reform Act (2022) established an independent Electoral Commission to enforce political transparency rules.
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Why it helps: Holds parties and platforms accountable for digital misconduct, discouraging unethical behaviour.
Coordinate with European Partners
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What to do: Strengthen cross-border collaboration to close regulatory gaps and harmonise digital governance standards.
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Example: Alignment between the UK’s Online Safety Act and the EU’s Digital Services Act demonstrates potential for cooperation on content regulation and data access.
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Why it helps: Disinformation campaigns often operate internationally. Shared standards ensure no jurisdiction becomes a safe haven for abuse.
Demand Greater Transparency from Tech Platforms
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What to do: Require platforms to disclose how they moderate political content and how algorithms impact visibility.
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Example: The Digital Services Act (EU) obliges large platforms to publish moderation reports and grant researchers access to algorithmic data.
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Why it helps: Sheds light on automated decisions, reveals bias or manipulation, and ensures tech companies play a fair role in democratic processes.
Support Independent Election Monitoring
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What to do: Fund and empower third-party groups to track disinformation and election interference in real time.
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Example: Organisations like EU DisinfoLab monitor online threats during elections and provide timely reports to the public and authorities.
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Why it helps: Independent scrutiny enhances accountability and helps prevent misinformation from spreading unchecked.
Invest in Public Education and Media Literacy
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What to do: Launch national programmes to help citizens spot AI-generated content and think critically about online information.
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Example: Finland’s National Media Literacy Policy (2019) integrates media awareness into school curricula and adult learning.
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Why it helps: Informed voters are less vulnerable to manipulation and more confident in evaluating political content.
Protect Whistleblowers and Open Campaign Data
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What to do: Strengthen whistleblower protections and create open databases of campaign donations, ad spending, and targeting strategies.
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Example: The EU Whistleblower Protection Directive (2019) offers legal protection for individuals exposing unethical or unlawful conduct.
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Example: Countries like Ireland and Germany maintain open-access databases for political finance and advertising.
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Why it helps: Transparency exposes irregularities and empowers journalists, researchers, and the public to hold institutions to account.
To protect democratic integrity in the age of AI, the UK and Ireland must act with urgency and coordination. By combining robust regulation, cross-border cooperation, tech accountability, and public education, policymakers can build a system where elections are fair, transparent, and trusted by all.
In Summary:
These policies and practices build a multi-layered defence against AI-driven election manipulation:
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Transparency deters abuse.
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Regulation and enforcement penalise bad actors.
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Education and civic empowerment build long-term resilience.
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