At least two senators backed the proposal of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to disallow the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfakes technology in campaign materials for the 2025 midterm elections.
Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. said that “AI is just a technological advancement to spread lies” as he backed the recent recommendation of Comelec chairperson George Garcia to en banc to ban the use of AI and deepfakes during election campaigns.
“Falsehoods and lies should have no place in our democratic processes. It is clear that those who use it have no good intentions, except for personal interest,” Revilla said.
Senator Imee Marcos, who chairs the chamber’s committee on electoral reforms and people’s participation, also welcomed Garcia’s proposal.
“However, I am not certain if the Comelec, or any government agency for that matter, presently has the capability to efficiently and timely detect the use of AI and deepfakes,” Marcos said.
In a a memorandum dated 28 May, Garcia stressed the abuse of AI and deepfakes technology in campaign materials, such as videos, audio, or other media forms, “may amount to fraudulent misrepresentation of candidates.”
“This defeats the very purpose of a campaign which is to fully and truthfully inform the voters about the elections and the candidates,” he noted.
Garcia lamented that even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other heads of the state have become victims of AI-deep fake videos to deceive viewers.
For his part, Senator Win Gatchalian urged Comelec to specify and lay down the policies should it want to ban AI technology during elections.
“AI is evolving every day, and a regulator such as Comelec needs to be fast,” Gatchalian said.