AI in Election Campaigns

**Summary**

This blog explores how AI bots influence election campaigns, and how leaders can maintain a balance between technological progress and ethical responsibility.

The rise of AI bots in election campaigns casts a shadow over the transparency and integrity of political processes. The paradox is stark: technology that promises to improve our lives turns out to be a powerful instrument of manipulation in the struggle for public influence. How can we harness the benefits of digital innovation without falling into the trap of uncontrolled influence and manipulation? In a world where technology evolves rapidly, the call for ethical leadership is not only about managing resources, but about safeguarding the human scale.

We find ourselves at a crossroads between using technology to facilitate processes and the temptation to use that same technology to steer people. AI bots can be deployed in countless ways to manipulate information and influence public opinion. This raises the question: where is the boundary between influence and manipulation? And what does leadership mean in a time when technology not only changes the playing field, but also the rules of the game?

Technology as a Defense Against Uncertainty

From a psychodynamic perspective, technology plays an important role in how we deal with uncertainty. In times of political division, polarization, and chaos, technology offers a sense of control. AI bots can filter information noise, broadcast targeted messages, and even steer public debate, creating the impression that there is a clear direction, a clear answer to the complexity of the world. This gives both politicians and citizens a false sense of certainty about what the “right” course is.

But this technological control can unintentionally narrow the space for genuine debate and dialogue. AI bots rely on algorithms designed to “reinforce” users by presenting only information that aligns with existing beliefs. What appears to be personal preference is, in reality, a technology-driven echo of our own biases. This mechanism undermines the plurality of opinions that is essential to a healthy democracy.

The use of AI in election campaigns therefore appeals to our responsibility to look not only at the effectiveness of technology, but also at the ethics of how it is deployed. How do we ensure that technology is used as an instrument of transparency, rather than as a means of manipulation?

Framing and Who Gets to Be Visible

From a systemic perspective, technology has the power to determine who gets to be visible in the public arena. AI bots can shape public perception of a candidate or an idea by deciding which information receives the greatest reach. What is presented today as the “dominant opinion” may in fact be nothing more than the result of finely tuned algorithms amplifying a select number of voices, while leaving others in the shadows.

In election campaigns, this means that the framing of who is considered a “leader” or a legitimate voice increasingly depends on technology. This creates a situation in which not truth, but strategy and the power to distribute information, set the agenda. The danger is that not only political competition, but also the very foundations of democracy come under pressure.

Leadership in this landscape calls for a systemic rethinking of who we, as a society, give space to—and who we exclude. It requires awareness of how technology alters the dynamics of power, visibility, and influence. Leaders who understand these shifts can create an environment in which technology becomes a means to facilitate dialogue rather than distort it.

Leadership and Conscience: A Mini-Case

Imagine that you are the CEO of a technology company responsible for developing AI technology used in election campaigns. Your company offers a platform that enables candidates to use AI bots to influence voters by personalizing and distributing messages. While you see the business advantages of this technology, you also recognize the ethical dilemmas involved: how much influence should technology have on democratic processes? How do you find the balance between promoting your product and protecting the integrity of the political process?

Leadership in this situation requires deep reflection on the impact your company can have on the larger system. It calls for the formation of conscience—the ability to consider the long-term consequences of the choices you make. It requires transparency about how technology is used and the development of guidelines that respect ethical boundaries of influence.

Leaders must actively consider how technology can be used without endangering democratic values such as fairness, transparency, and equality. This means initiating conversations about the ethics of technology, both internally and externally, and ensuring that the products and services we create benefit not only users, but society at large.

What Are You Sustaining—Even With the Best Intentions?

What does this time ask of you—not as a CEO, but as a human being in your role? How do you ensure that you use technology to promote transparency and fairness, rather than manipulation? What are you sustaining—despite the best intentions—that further distorts the public sphere?

Leadership in the world of AI and digital influence requires not only technical expertise, but moral clarity. It calls for the development of conscience and the ability to place your choices within a broader societal perspective. Technology without reflection tempts manipulation, but technology guided by conscience can be a force for good.

*Rene de Baaij*