Reform UK Facing Questions over AI-Generated Election Imagery
Reform UK has come under pressure to provide evidence its candidates at the general election were all real people after doubts were raised about a series of hopefuls who stood without providing any photos, biographies or contact details, and using AI imagery according to The Guardian.
Reform candidate Mark Matlock who won 1,758 votes in Clapham and Brixton Hill in south London, was accused of being an AI bot, in part because his official election photo looked AI-generated, is a real person. Public suspicions were compounded when he did not show for the election count, with sceptics also pointing to an apparent lack of any photographs of him campaigning.
However, Mark insisted that he did exist, and there was a reason for the curious-looking election picture, “The image is me. Stupidly I had to get it altered to change my tie and suit as I couldn’t get to a photographer on time.” He showed the Guardian a copy of the original image, which was changed to make his tie a Reform light blue.
Reform insists every one of its 609 candidates on 4th July were real, while accepting that some were in effect 'paper candidates' who did no campaigning and were there simply to help increase the party’s vote share.
However, a string of candidates listed on the Nigel Farage-led party’s election website only show their name and the constituency they stood in, without any information about them, or contact details beyond a generic regional email address.
A Reform source said, “All our candidates are categorically real. Given the rush, a few are just paper candidates and didn’t campaign.”
AI expert John Kirk, chief strategy officer, ITG said, “The use of generative AI technology in official photography and election materials can save time and money but can also cause confusion and suspicion if it becomes clear the images are not sourced from traditional photography. This incident is a reminder that AI-powered technology can and will continue to play a crucial role in content creation but must always be used proportionality.”
Tech expert Suid Adeyanju, CEO of RiverSafe said, “In an election riddled with fraudulent emails, misinformation and deepfakes, the slightest hint of AI-generated imagery being used on official literature will cause controversy and raise questions about the threat the technology poses to democracy. We’ve already seen AI being hijacked by state-sponsored cyber attacks, so it’s inevitable similar tactics could be used to disrupt future elections. All too often these images are incredibly realistic, so remaining vigilant and fact checking source material are critical steps to staying safe in an increasingly dangerous online world.”
