The Queensland Liberal National Party (LNP) recently took a daring step in its political strategy by utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to influence public perceptions of current Premier Steven Miles. This move has not only highlighted the modern potential of AI in political campaigning, but has also sparked considerable debate about its ethical implications.
The use of AI in political campaigns is increasing worldwide. In recent elections all over the world, AI was used to research voter behavior, craft targeted messages, and even create persuasive content.
We saw using AI within the UK general election through the event of an AI-generated politician. In February 2024, one other impactful use of AI was in Pakistan when Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party launched a AI video of Khan during his victory speech written in prison.
However, the LNP's actions in Queensland represent a notable escalation within the Australian context, albeit with a way more light-hearted approach. This video shows Miles in a sensible portrayal dancing to a preferred song from the early 2000s with the caption:
POV: My rent is $60 every week higher, my electric bill is 20% higher, however the Prime Minister made a sandwich on TikTok.
The aim is to influence voters' opinions by sowing doubts about Miles' leadership qualities.
That's clever, but is it ethical?
Although AI is technologically impressive, its role in political campaigning is questionable. Negative campaigning is a standard strategy all over the world. Society has come to expect negative posts or comments from opposing parties. In the 2022 Australian general election, for instance, the Labor Party used technology and video editing tools to govern images of then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
What makes the Queensland LNP example unique is using AI to govern the person’s actual shape.
The Labor Party also recently got here under fire for an AI-generated TikTok video featuring opposition leader Peter Dutton.
This video uses AI to govern Dutton's appearance and behavior. It also shows how AI technology might be used to create realistic and compelling content.
AI’s ability to be concurrently persuasive and misleading challenges the boundaries of acceptable policy debate. It also underscores the necessity for robust regulatory frameworks.
The Queensland Electoral Commission has said that while the state's electoral law doesn’t explicitly mention AI, it does cover the publication of false statements a couple of candidate's character or conduct. However, political freedom of speech allows negative election campaigns.
When politics and popular culture collide
From an election campaign perspective, there was a transparent shift towards a more casual and culturally relevant approach. Short-form video platforms are a fantastic approach to reach a generation of people that may not yet be politically aligned.
These platforms are extremely powerful tools. But platforms like TikTok are driven by algorithms, so content should be designed to pique the algorithm's interest. One effective strategy to attain that is to include elements of popular culture and current trends. This can transform a serious topic into more entertainment-oriented content.
In order for politicians, governments and huge organizations to make use of these platforms effectively, they have to adopt these methods of popular culture, whatever the seriousness of the problems being discussed. This has led to a growing trend of “Politainment“ by political figures.
However, politicians are also increasingly using these platforms to develop a way of authenticity. In Queensland, the 2 party leaders use personal accounts to portray themselves as “extraordinary” Australians. The techniques they use revolve around domestic tasks corresponding to cooking. A connection to food might be observed internationally. especially in Italybut is a comparatively latest approach in Australia.
Scott Morrison enjoyed the presentation his cooking skills. However, this didn’t all the time have positive effects.
Ultimately, it’s nothing latest for political parties to make use of digital manipulation for strategic purposes. However, the query stays whether there must be rules governing using AI in election campaigns.
AI is mostly OK – nevertheless it must be clearly labelled as such
While freedom of speech is crucial in political campaigning, clear identification of AI use is important to keep up transparency and trust. Restricting official accounts could push AI-generated content to more unofficial, harder-to-regulate sources, further complicating the difficulty.
The Queensland case highlights the opportunities and challenges of integrating advanced technologies into political campaigns. As AI continues to develop, its role in shaping political landscapes will increase.
Political parties, regulators and the general public must tread rigorously on this terrain and be certain that the integrity of democratic processes is maintained while harnessing the modern potential of AI.
