How AI could ‘supercharge’ election risks across south-east Asia
Experts are warning that AI-driven disinformation campaigns pose a growing threat to elections in Southeast Asia. A recent incident involving the use of Claude AI to create a political manipulation network in Malaysia highlights the ease with which AI can exploit social and political divisions.
Why it matters
The weaponization of AI in political processes threatens the integrity of democratic elections in regions with high social media connectivity.
A collection of AI-generated images, including of Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, fake posts about ethnic Rohingya refugees, and a satirical image of a Philippine politician. Composite: Guardian Design/Getty Images A collection of AI-generated images, including of Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, fake posts about ethnic Rohingya refugees, and a satirical image of a Philippine politician. Composite: Guardian Design/Getty Images AI (artificial intelligence) How AI could ‘supercharge’ election risks across south-east Asia Some experts fear AI could be weaponised in south-east Asia, home to nations with predominately young and hyper-connected populations
Kate Lamb Wed 30 Sep 2026 21.58 EDT Last modified on Thu 1 Oct 2026 00.09 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google Y ears ago it would have been an elaborate operation involving an army of cyber troops creating fake news websites, social media accounts and forged dossiers, all deployed to spread disinformation en masse.
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