AI for Electoral Actors

The AI for Electoral Actors project, implemented by International IDEA with support from Microsoft and OpenAI’s joint Societal Resilience Fund committed via the Tech Accord to Combat Deceptive Use of AI in the 2024 Elections, seeks to equip electoral management bodies (EMBs), civil society, and the media with an increased awareness and understanding of artificial intelligence’s (AI) role in elections.  

While advancements in AI are significantly impacting many sectors, the technologies’ role in elections remains conflicted. AI holds a dual potential, on one hand it risks disrupting the political information environment, raising human rights concerns and reiterating discrimination of marginalized groups (particularly women and members of the LGBTQI+ community), and eroding trust in democratic institutions and procedures. 

On the other hand, it holds untapped potential to improve electoral processes through providing secure, reliable and efficient support to electoral management, essentially yielding the possibility of making elections more fair, inclusive and accessible. This duality calls for an increase in the understanding of the capabilities, risks and challenges presented by AI, particularly among EMBs.  

To meet this challenge, International IDEA is conducting a series of executive trainings for EMBs, civil society and media representatives to foster literacy on AI technologies and raise awareness for its human rights implications and ethical considerations in the context of elections. The executive trainings will help better prepare stakeholders to approach the use of AI for elections with a specific focus on democratic governance, human rights, and improving electoral processes, especially for marginalized communities.  

International IDEA will conduct a total of five workshops, one taking place each in Kuala Lumpur, Tirana, Johannesburg, Abidjan, and Panama City. Each workshop is tailored to highlight the context-specific impact of AI, featuring regional experts on AI regulation and inviting participants to share their lived experiences of the technologies.  

Updates on the project will be posted to this site over the course of the project timeline. 

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Insights from Kuala Lumpur

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With the conclusion of the inaugural AI for Electoral Actors event in Kuala Lumpur that took place on the 18-20th of November, 2024, the aims of the project have started coming to fruition. Participants from Asia and the Pacific region shared meaningful insights on how AI is developing in their context that help shape the understanding of the role AI might play in electoral management. See below a summary of knowledge and experiences shared by participants from the event:

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Insights from Tirana

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With the second workshop taken place on the 3-5th of December, participants have once again shared enlightening reflections on what AI use looks like in elections around the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe. See below a summary of the knowledge and experiences shared by representatives from electoral management bodies and civil society during the workshop in Tirana:

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