The head of Brazil’s electoral authority, Alexandre de Moraes, said that candidates in upcoming municipal elections who use artificial intelligence (AI) to attack their opponents could lose their right to run or have their mandate revoked.

Moraes’ comments on the risks artificial intelligence entails for democracy carry weight.

The Brazilian Supreme Court justice was the leading force in defending Brazil’s democracy from former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro’s election threats in the 2022 vote, turning Moraes into a global leader on electoral safeguards.

“Those candidates who disrespect the rules and use artificial intelligence negatively to harm their opponents and twist the meaning of information in order to win the elections, will face the penalty of having their registration revoked and, if they have already been elected, their mandate revoked,” Moraes said on Wednesday.

The electoral authority has restricted the use of artificial intelligence in this year’s municipal elections.

A resolution approved by the court’s plenary on Tuesday stated that the measure was designed to combat disinformation, fake news, and manipulation in the upcoming October elections.

The session also deliberated on other rules and regulations that will be applied during the campaign period and on the day voters take to the polls.

–Reuters