| Abstract: | Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing election processes, contestation, and governance in India, the world’s largest democratic nation. The paper discusses the ambivalent role of AI in the Indian electoral landscape: both as a means of improving the electoral process, such as the cVIGIL app, Voter Turnout App, and machine learning-aided audits, and as a means of risk, including deepfake technology, fake content, and algorithmic microtargeting, which threaten the autonomy of the voter and the accuracy of the information. The paper explores the lessons learnt from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the Oversight of Information Technology for Election Safety and Security Guidelines published by the Election Commission of India in the past, and the changes in Information Technology Rules made by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in 2025-2026. It is also indicative of the interconnectedness of Aadhaar-electoral roll as a case of AI-adjacent administrative governance, in which there is a risk of disenfranchisement. The paper argues India has responded that there has been a lack of a systematic approach, and a failure to include focus on due process, freedom of expression, and the digital divide. It concludes with a blueprint for a rights respecting calibrated governance of AI in India’s electoral future. |
