AI in Assam politics: Parties tap synthetic media to sway perceptions

It was perhaps inevitable. In today’s hyper-digital age, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) transforming commerce, education, and healthcare, it was only logical for it to enter politics.

With election season looming, AI has made its foray into Assam’s political theatre, stirring a storm that promises to reshape the way campaigns are fought.

The timing could hardly be more charged. With the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) polls just four days away and the 2026 Assembly elections on the horizon, both the ruling BJP and the primary opposition Congress have turned to AI to sharpen their messaging and fire salvoes at each other.

Since Monday, the Assam BJP has circulated multiple videos on its official social media channels, highlighting what it claims is a growing threat from illegal immigrants.

One of the most striking videos carried the tagline “Assam without BJP” and featured AI-generated images portraying Muslims taking over Guwahati, the airport, the stadium, tea estates, and the historic Rang Ghar amphitheatre.

The impact was immediate. On Thursday, the state Congress filed a police complaint against the BJP over the videos, accusing the ruling party of targeting Congress state unit president Gaurav Gogoi and the Muslim community.

“The agenda behind the AI video is to communally divide Assam. We have filed a complaint at Dispur Police Station following directions from our president, Gaurav Gogoi. The move is particularly threatening as it comes ahead of the BTC polls,” said party spokesperson Bedabrata Bora.

The BJP has neither confirmed nor denied using AI in the video, but yet this is far from a one-sided battle.

The use of AI-driven media as a political tool is not exclusive to the BJP. In recent months, Congress has also leveraged synthetic content to advance its agenda and challenge the ruling party.

In September 2025, the Congress circulated an AI-generated video depicting a fictional conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother. The video drew widespread condemnation for being disrespectful and misleading.

The Patna High Court ordered the Congress to remove the video from social media and issued notices to platforms such as X, Facebook, and Google, demanding a response within three weeks.

Earlier, in August 2025, Congress had shared an AI-generated video alleging voter rights violations in Bihar. The Election Commission of India flagged the content as “misleading” and “not real.”

“Right now, AI can analyse data at incredible speed, identifying which parties are strong in which areas. All this data analysis can be done in a matter of minutes, making it extremely useful for strategic planning. Political parties are already hiring AI agents to manage their social media accounts and websites. With proper integration, a party could predict upcoming developments over the next two to three days and plan how to influence public opinion effectively,” informed a Guwahati-based AI expert, requesting anonymity.

AI misuse under watch

With AI-driven content becoming a growing concern ahead of polls, Assam Police in the past have warned citizens against spreading misinformation or sharing false claims.

In February, the force issued a social media advisory explaining synthetic media—images, videos, audio, or text created or altered using AI. While noting its creative potential, the advisory cautioned that AI content could easily manipulate reality and mislead audiences.

Assam Police have already acted in such cases. In April 2024, they registered a case against Congress Lok Sabha candidate Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury from Karimganj after a BJP MLA alleged he had tampered with a video and shared it online.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) also weighed in ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls in January 2025, urging political parties to use AI responsibly and transparently in their campaigns.

Yet, enforcement remains patchy, and the legal framework is struggling to keep up with AI’s fast-evolving role in politics and digital media.

“AI is still learning, so even when political parties use it, the videos aren’t always accurate. In the future, it may become more useful, but right now its impact is limited. Most AI content going viral tends to be negative rather than positive. While it can manipulate public opinion easily, not everyone on social media fully understands AI videos, making them highly manipulative,” says another AI expert, who doesn’t want to be named.

AI flags risks

Assam is not alone. Across India, political parties are experimenting with generative AI to craft speeches, voices, avatars, and produce content that looks authentic but is entirely computer-generated.

What sets Assam apart is its volatile socio-political landscape. With sensitive debates around ethnicity, immigration, and religion, the entry of AI into this arena adds a particularly high-stakes risk.

Against this backdrop, The Assam Tribune consulted ChatGPT to understand the implications of AI’s growing role in political messaging.

When asked about political parties using AI for political mileage, the AI-powered assistant responded, "As much as an AI can have a 'personal' view, I see AI being used in political propaganda as deeply concerning—especially when done without transparency or ethical restraint."

On further probing, it elaborated, "When political parties use AI to produce misleading videos—for instance, making a leader say things they never said, or stoking religious or communal divisions—it represents an abuse of the technology and erodes public trust. People already struggle to separate fact from fiction online. AI only amplifies that challenge.”

As political actors increasingly turn to AI for speeches, avatars, and content generation, experts warn that the technology’s power must be balanced with safeguards.

Without ethical standards and regulatory oversight, AI risks becoming a tool not just for persuasion, but for manipulation—challenging the very foundations of informed democratic choice.