The European Commission Guidelines on Prohibited Artificial Intelligence Practices are currently lacking a direct focus as well as concrete examples related to elections. A more explicit focus on elections is necessary, as the current guidelines remain indirect on the topic.
The Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), the new EU Regulation that introduces rules for AI systems according to their risk level, entered into force in August 2024. The rules will be implemented over the next few years with a phased application period. As part of the implementation, the European Commission has released Guidelines on Prohibited Artificial Intelligence Practices.
While the EU Commission Guidelines are a comprehensive legal tool, they currently lack an election integrity perspective. AI’s role is shaping public discourse, influencing voter behaviour. This is why safeguarding electoral integrity must be addressed with greater clarity and urgency, through effective enforcement mechanisms and a thorough assessment to evaluate their real-world impact of AI through ex-post analyses based on concrete cases and incidents.
