KUWAIT: Artificial intelligence is the latest tool for enhanced measurement of public opinions in electoral campaigns. Some experts believe that public opinion polls, over the past years, have lost much of their value because many people have shifted to digital means to express their views. In Kuwait, AI has noticeably evolved in the health, educational, and information sectors, as well as at the level of the smart government.

And, with the approach of the National Assembly elections, AI has become basic in the campaigns for some nominees. These candidates have been using artificial intelligence to analyze data, enhance opinion polls for a better understanding of the would-be voters’ interests, and guide the electoral campaign according to an explicit strategy. Candidates can employ AI to enhance their campaigns’ strategies for winning the minds and hearts of the electorate; however, such an approach warrants adherence to moralistic and electoral norms and principles.

The available tools include techniques for rapid automatic data analysis, unlike conventional opinion polls, where data about individuals is collected directly through questionnaires and interviews. The AI is capable of analyzing and predicting the data precisely and rapidly, tracking public trends, and offering forecasts. In the electoral process, artificial intelligence can play a pivotal role with respect to analyzing the data, such as the polls, studying tentative results, electorate conducts, and guiding the campaign by targeting the would-be voters with precision and addressing them with messages, the contents of which appeal to their interests and concerns.

Some politicians in Kuwait believe that artificial intelligence facilitates data analysis and helps in combating fake news and information. Moreover, it can enable seat seekers to assess the would-be voters’ conduct, trends, and political tendencies. Furthermore, the AI can be used for analyzing social media websites and examining interactions among the electorate, thus helping in guiding the campaign and specifying the most important districts.

On the other hand, critics warn that AI can be employed to breach privacy; thus, there must be a mechanism to safeguard the data and ensure its usage in a legal and moralistic manner. It can also be employed to resist bids to misguide the electorate via social media. The opponents allude to the US experience, where authorities have warned of the misuse of AI to deceive citizens in the coming presidential elections due in November. — KUNA