National Summit Tackles Role of AI Technology, Big Data in 2025 Elections
Key officials from the Commission on Election (Comelec), National Citizen’s Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) along with digital experts and campaign stakeholders will discuss ways to protect Filipino voters, political candidates against the use of AI, deep fakes and other forms of misinformation in the 2025 elections at the three-day National Election Game Changer Summit to be held from 25 to 27 November 2024 at the Marquis Events Hall in BGC Taguig City. Research firm-Capstone Intel Corporation is hosting the event that provides a platform for discussion on how public and election stakeholders can increase knowledge and awareness on digital innovations, focused on the threats and challenges of cybersecurity. Comelec commissioner Nelson Celis will speak on the new Comelec rules on Regulating the Use of AI in 2025 polls campaign, while Mr. Angel S. Averia, Jr., National Chairperson of NAMFREL will serve as one of panel of reactors. At the same time, Comelec commissioner Atty. Rey Bulay will speak on the New Election Landscape in 2025, while cybersecurity experts from US, Singapore and the Philippines, as well as veteran election campaign strategists will deliver insights on innovative digital and face to face campaign strategies in winning elections. The event also highlights the launching of the fifth edition of the book: “Winning Strategies for an A.I.-Interconnected Electorate: Campaign Management for Politics and Social Change,” a step-by-step strategy for political and social change, blending traditional campaigning methods with AI technologies. The book is authored by Capstone Intel Corp. founding CEO Mr. Eero Rosini Brillantes who succumbed to a lingering illness in April 1, 2024, and his wife Geraldine Torres-Brillantes, who is the Chief Operating Officer of the company. Atty. Nicasio Conti, CEO of Capstone Intel Corp. said the three-day event aims to increase knowledge and awareness on the intersectional benefits of digital innovations and time-tested face traditional campaign strategies for the election campaign stakeholders particularly candidates and campaign managers. It also provides a platform for discussion on how to operationalize core elements of campaign, including ways to ensure digital and physical safety of political candidates and campaign stakeholders, said Conti. Dr. Guido David, Chief Data Scientist of Capstone-Intel Corp. said the rapid advancement of AI technology will play an important role in data-driven election campaign strategies. “While AI can be used to amplify candidates’ advocacy messages to improve people’s lives, the AI technology can also be used to spread false content or deep fakes to depict candidates doing and saying things to mislead the public,” said David.
‘AI’ Generates Highest Sad Reactions on Top Posts
Commonly referred to as AI, has become a prominent topic of discussion in various fields and industries. Its presence and impact can be felt in areas such as technology, healthcare, finance, and even daily life. Recognizing the significance of AI, Capstone-Intel Corporation conducted a study to gauge public perceptions and reactions towards this groundbreaking technology. Notably, the study revealed that the public expressed the strongest feelings of sadness towards the top posts available online. Capstone-Intel is a high-impact research company that uses innovative research technologies, tools, and methods to convert data and information into breakthrough insights and actionable intelligence outputs. It is committed to helping its clients solve problems, find solutions, grow markets and constituencies, build reputations, navigate risks, manage crises, and be the country’s leading private research and intelligence agency Background Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. It has the potential to revolutionize various industries and sectors, including healthcare, finance, transportation, and customer service. It can automate repetitive tasks, enhance decision-making processes, and improve efficiency and productivity. The history of AI dates back to ancient times, with the concept of intelligent machines found in various mythologies and folklores. However, the modern development of AI can be traced back to the mid-20th century. In 1956, the field of AI was officially established as a research discipline during the Dartmouth Conference, where renowned scientists and mathematicians came together to explore the possibilities of creating intelligent machines. Despite the ethical implications associated with AI, including concerns related to privacy, bias, and unemployment, it is important to acknowledge the numerous advantages that artificial intelligence can bring to humanity. Methodology The study was conducted between June 18, 2023 and December 18, 2023. Capstone-Intel utilized its social listening tools to scan publicly available Facebook pages for the posts mentioning “AI” and “Artificial Intelligence.” In this study, there were no specific demographics or personal data that were tracked. Reaction distributions The keyword “AI” has garnered a substantial number of Facebook reactions like 3,534,834 (48.2%) Like, 2,182,146 (29.7%) Love, 1,227,449 (16.7%) Haha, 172,128 (2.3%) Sad, 160,368 (2.2%) Wow, and 60,161 (0.8%) Angry reactions. Meanwhile, for the keyword “artificial intelligence” has generated the following response: 246,814 (44.3%) Like, 222,045 (39.9%) Love, 43,866 (7.9%) Haha, 26,061 (4.7%) Wow, 14,582 (2.6%) Sad, and 3,831 (0.7%) Angry reactions. Top posts AI The keyword “AI” generated significant engagement on a variety of Facebook pages belonging to news agencies and influencers. Notably, the GMA News Facebook page achieved an impressive engagement score of 48,712.5, followed by the Ivana Alawi Facebook page with 26,849.5, and another GMA News post with 24,768.9. The post on the GMA News Facebook page received a total of 72,654 (63.07 %) Sad reactions, 22,688 (19.70%) Angry, 10,936 (9.49%) Likes, 3,921 (3.41%) Wow, 3,321 (2.88%) Haha, and 1,680 (1.46 %) Love reactions. Similarly, the post on Ivana Alawi’s Facebook page generated 175,979 (73.02%) Love reactions, 62,922 (26.11%) Likes, 1,891 (0.78%) Wow, 176 (0.07%) Haha, 32 (0.02%) Sad, and 9 (0%) Angry reactions. Lastly, the second GMA News post received 51,748 (41.42%) Haha reactions, 32,618 (26.12%) Sad, 20,924 (16.75%) Angry, 12,149 (9.73%) Likes, 3,986 (3.19%) Love, and 3,485 (2.79%) Wow reactions. Upon reviewing the top posts, it is evident that the post from the news agency has garnered a significant number of sad reactions. The introduction of AI sportscasters by the news agency has been met with strong disapproval from the public. One online user expressed their opinion, which was echoed by many others, stating that “an AI may not possess the capability to effectively convey the emotional ups and downs of a game, thereby diminishing viewer engagement.” Artificial Intelligence The keyword “artificial intelligence” also elicited varied responses from online users across different top posts. Specifically, the post from the Philippine Star received 12,152 (45.45%) Love reactions, 9,625 (36%) Like, 4,882 (18.26%) Wow, 59 (0.22%) Haha, 11 (0.04%) Sad, and 7 (0.03%) Angry reactions. The next post in line is from ABS-CBN News, which received 53,159 (58.22%) Love reactions, 36,401 (39.86%) Like, 980 (1.07%) Haha, 480 (0.53%) Wow, 280 (0.31%) Sad, and 12 (0.01%) Angry reactions. The post with the third highest number of reactions is from Discover Antique, Philippines. It garnered a total of 6,701 (57.81%) Haha, 2,611 (22.52%) Love, 1,219 (10.52%) Like, 915 (7.89%) Wow, 91 (0.78%) Sad, and 56 (0.48%) Angry reactions.
