Probe into AI-enhanced posters ads urged

Election candidates trying to impress voters by using artificial intelligence could be a form of dishonest campaigning, Senator Francis Tolentino stressed on Saturday.

"The issue of using artificial intelligence in the election campaign and propaganda materials and requested further study for future policy formulation as apps that change facial impressions of individuals proliferate that may violate the principle of truthfulness," the senator lamented.

Tolentino believes that using AI in campaign paraphernalia should be covered by the Commission on Elections.

He said he looks forward to Comelec policy "regarding the use of AI in producing campaign and software materials for the elections, especially on the question of what picture must be allowed: The candidate's looks at present or the looks the voters wanted to see."

The senator then cited the Department of National Defense memorandum, which was made public on Friday, prohibiting its employees and military personnel from using AI image generator applications.

In his order, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr warned that AI-powered applications seemed "harmless and amusing" but could be "maliciously used" to create fake profiles that can lead to identity theft, social media engineering, phishing attacks, and other erring activities which compromise someone's personal data.