This article explores the growing influence of AI, social media, and electoral politics in recent elections in Malaysia and Indonesia. It highlights the use of AI-generated deepfakes, such as a video of the late Indonesian dictator Suharto urging voters to support Golkar, and the impact of online platforms like TikTok on voter behavior in Malaysia.
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Aksa clarified in the video caption that it was made using artificial intelligence technology, or AI. But if AI technology can be misused, generate misinformation and manipulate the voters, could elections be tipped one way or the other by nefarious actors, people who may not even reside in the country?
“The environment has changed completely,” said James Chin, Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Tasmania, about modern social media. One such person is Anindya Shabrina, 29, a legal affairs specialist who joined Indonesia’s Labour Party and ran as a candidate in the February 2024 elections.
And perhaps they were right to be concerned. Anindya called the experience “incredibly challenging”, citing the financial disparity between herself and her more established opponents, who could promise tangible monetary assistance while she could only expound on her proposals. When asked if she thinks AI technology would have made the situation worse, Anindya had zero doubt. “Especially for women,” she added, raising the possibility of using AI to create fake nude images.
Previously, one needed skills in Photoshop or video and audio editing. But now, such skills are practically not needed because all the tools are available to the public, even if they don’t understand the language of their target audience. The first is the development of computer chips to the point where processing power is fast enough to handle the demands of AI. The second, Ang pointed out, is there has been roughly two decades of social media use where people have uploaded a staggering amount of personal information online.Ang also highlighted that AI has made the speed of generating such content much faster.
But what about AI-generated videos? As in Indonesia, Chin foresees the same thing happening in Malaysia. While it does not directly tackle the misuse of AI content, it could help to ensure digital platforms are more circumspect about the kind of content they share.reported that Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Information Technology was preparing to issue new regulations to establish “clear guidelines” for the use of AI technology in Indonesia.
Meanwhile in September 2024, Malaysia’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation introduced the National Guidelines on AI Governance and Ethics, which seek to support safe and responsible AI development.However, Indonesia and Malaysia’s neighbor Singapore is not waiting around, and has already introduced and passed legislation specifically governing the use of AI-generated content in an election, with one eye on its own upcoming general election.
The bill, which was passed by Singapore’s parliament, is a very narrowly-targeted one. It prohibits the publication of online content that “realistically depicts a candidate saying or doing something did not.” It covers misinformation from both AI-generated content and non-AI techniques used to create content, such as Photoshop or audio dubbing.
AI Deepfakes Social Media Elections Indonesia Malaysia
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