Brazil's Supreme Electoral Court Issues Decision on AI in Political Advertising

Brazil's highest electoral court has introduced new standards for AI-generated deepfake content in political advertising ahead of the October elections. This step was taken following a case involving Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.

New Decision from the Supreme Court

Brazil's highest electoral court has established new standards for AI-generated deepfake content in political advertising to prevent disinformation and manipulation ahead of the October elections.

The Flávio Bolsonaro Case

The court made its decision late Tuesday within the scope of the case involving opposition candidate Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro had used AI-generated images at a party convention.

At this convention, an AI-generated version of jailed former president Jair Bolsonaro was featured, and participants were asked to support his son's presidential candidacy.

AI Definition Established

As a result of the vote, court members ruled that Flávio Bolsonaro should not be penalized. It was determined that the deepfake content in question was used at a closed-door event prior to the official candidacy announcement and did not constitute a public political advertisement.

Nevertheless, in a separate vote, the court clarified the definition of deepfakes in political advertising. Accordingly, the definition covers synthetic content produced with artificial intelligence technologies that realistically alters the images and voices of living, deceased, or fictional individuals.

Electoral Process and New Rules

Online channels hold great importance in Brazil's presidential elections; however, television and radio advertisements still play a critical role in influencing voters.

These newly established rules will apply to the vast amount of content candidates will produce ahead of the first-round vote on October 4.