Half of Brazilians favor banning AI videos in elections, poll finds

A significant portion of the Brazilian population is wary of artificial intelligence's role in political campaigns, with a recent poll indicating that nearly half of respondents advocate for a complete prohibition of AI-generated videos. The survey, conducted by CNT/MDA, found that 49.8% of Brazilians agree that any video or propaganda created with AI should be banned during elections.

“

half of Brazilians defend the prohibition of any video or propaganda of candidates created with Artificial Intelligence.

This sentiment comes in the wake of a legal challenge faced by Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro. He was targeted by legal actions after using an AI-generated video of his father at a political convention in São Paulo. Despite the controversy, Jair Bolsonaro himself has defended the use of AI in campaigns, even without the explicit consent of the person being depicted.

“

49.8% of those interviewed agree with this thesis.

The CNT/MDA research also explored nuances in public opinion. A substantial 34.3% of those surveyed believe that bans should be limited specifically to AI-generated videos that spread fake news about candidates. In contrast, only a small fraction, 8.9%, supports the unrestricted use of any type of AI-created video or propaganda.

“

34.3% of those interviewed consider that the prohibition should only apply to videos that use fake news about the candidates.

Furthermore, the poll highlighted the pervasive influence of social media in shaping electoral perceptions. Nearly half of the respondents, 45%, identified social media platforms as their primary source for information and news related to the elections. The survey interviewed 2,002 people across Brazil between August 5 and 9, with a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points.

“

the defense of any type of video or propaganda created with AI is defended by only 8.9% of Brazilians.