The Double-Edged Sword: Artificial Intelligence, Electoral Integrity, and the Future of Democracy in Pakistan

Abstract

The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the electoral arena is a paradigm shift to the global democracies with a paradigmatic duoism. This two-sided sword in this article by the author is the case of a weak democratic culture in the country of Pakistan with certain weaknesses, including political polarization, poor digital literacy rates, and election fraud. A qualitative case study design is employed in the present study to evaluate the dual aspects of AI as the source of the transformative opportunities in the form of how to make the processes of electoral administration and voter participation better and as the threat to existentialism in the form of weaponized disinformation, manipulation of micro-targets, and algorithmic bias. It is based on the combination of theoretical frameworks of the Democratic Theory and the Social Shaping of Technology which claim that the influence of AI is not predetermined but formed by the agency of institutions. The article appraises critically the nascent policy and legal framework in Pakistan, such as the National AI Policy (2025), Election Act (2017), and PECA (2016) and shows that these rules and legislations have major gaps in regulation and lack an institutional capacity within the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The lessons learnt during comparative analysis of the regulatory vacuum in India, the proactive governance of the European Union, and the rather disjointed approach of the United States can be considered to be crucial. The results also indicate that AI has already started undermining the electoral integrity and trust in Pakistan as the 2024 election in the country has been marked by a completely unregulated use of AI to spread misinformation, deepfakes, and targeted suppression campaigns. The paper concludes that Pakistan is at a cross-road and that multi-stakeholder intervention is much needed. It offers practical suggestions, such as AI guidelines suggested by ECP, legislative changes to protect data and criminalise malicious deepfakes, and a voluntary code of practice among political parties to exploit the democratic benefits of AI and resolve unequivocally the dangers it poses.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Electoral Integrity, Pakistan, Democracy, Disinformation, Micro-targeting, Election Commission of Pakistan, Regulatory Framework