CNN —
Before the upcoming elections, a once-feared military colonel who ruled Indonesia with an iron fist for more than three decades has a message for the voters.
In a three-minute video that has amassed over 4.7 million views on X and has been extensively circulated on platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, a stern-faced individual proclaims, “I am Suharto, the future president of Indonesia.”
Despite the initial resemblance, the person in the video is not the late Indonesian leader Suharto, who passed away in 2008 at 86. Known as the “Smiling General,” Suharto was notorious for his authoritarian regime, often seen with a smile.
The AI-generated video, utilizing tools to replicate Suharto’s voice and appearance, was designed to underscore the importance of voting in the upcoming elections, as mentioned by Erwin Aksa, the vice president of Golkar, a prominent political party in Indonesia. Initially shared on X, the video aimed to emphasize the significance of each vote in the imminent election.
With over 200 million citizens expected to participate in this year’s election, Golkar is one of the 18 contenders in the political arena. Instead of nominating its own presidential candidate, the party has opted to endorse Prabowo Subianto, a former military general under Suharto’s rule, and his former son-in-law.
By resurrecting a deceased leader just before the election, Golkar’s intention is clear: to garner support for the party associated with Suharto and evoke nostalgia among voters.
Aksa, in an article on X, expressed his admiration for Suharto’s contributions to Indonesia’s progress, stating, “As a Golkar party, Suharto has my utmost respect. He achieved significant success, and we must acknowledge and remember his services.”
However, the utilization of a deceased individual’s likeness for political purposes has been met with criticism online. One Indonesian citizen commented on X, “This is the current state of our nation: reviving deceased leaders to deceive and manipulate voters.”
Another individual raised ethical concerns, questioning, “When did it become morally acceptable to create deepfakes of the dead?”
Election Dynamics in the Era of Deepfakes
The digital domain plays a crucial role in Indonesian elections. With a high level of online engagement, nearly all political entities and figures maintain a strong presence on social media to secure support and shape public opinion.
Golda Benjamin, the Asia Pacific strategy manager at Access Now, a US-based organization advocating for online rights, highlighted the significant impact of deepfakes on elections, altering campaigning strategies and potentially influencing outcomes.
The swift dissemination of deepfakes poses a substantial risk, with the capacity to sway millions of voters within moments, as explained by Benjamin.
According to experts interviewed by CNN, major political parties have embraced AI technologies and employed various deepfake techniques in the run-up to this year’s election.
In an attempt to appeal to younger voters and address public critique, the campaign team of Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia’s current defense minister and three-time presidential candidate, admitted to using AI software to create an animated version of their leader on TikTok. The majority of Indonesian voters are under 40 years old, totaling approximately 114 million.
Another contentious tactic involved the use of AI-generated children in a television commercial to bypass regulations prohibiting children from participating in political campaigns, drawing sharp criticism from detractors.
Following criticism from watchdog groups, Budisatrio Djiwandono, Prabowo’s nephew and spokesperson for the nationalist Gerindra Party, defended the use of advanced technology, stating, “The level of technology utilized is highly sophisticated… It’s understandable if some mistake them for real characters.”
Ganjar Pranowo, the incumbent Central Java governor, employed an interactive AI robot to engage with potential voters, while AI-generated images produced by supporters were integrated into Ganjar’s campaign initiatives. CNN contacted representatives of Ganjar’s Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) for comments but has not received a response.
Anies Baswedan, a former Jakarta governor and the fourth presidential candidate, cautioned against the misuse of AI in elections. Anies’ campaign utilizes an OpenAI-powered chatbot on WhatsApp to address inquiries about his policy stances. A purportedly edited conversation involving Anies circulated online, sparking concerns about the authenticity of AI-generated content.
In response to the proliferation of AI-generated content, Indonesia’s Communications Ministry issued advisories urging vigilance among tech companies and citizens regarding deepfakes. However, watchdog organizations expressed reservations about the adequacy of these efforts.
The Suharto Deepfake video, highlighted by the Jakarta-based advocacy group Reed (Tim Advokasi Peduli Pemilu), underscored the potential of AI to manipulate voters, raising concerns about the lack of awareness and preparedness within the government.
Gugum Ridho Putra, the director of Reed, emphasized the need for vigilance, particularly in the lead-up to the election, to prevent the manipulation of citizens through advanced AI technologies.
