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Test shows AI tools can fake an election candidate fast

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Ongoing: AI Cooling

A media fact-check team used consumer AI tools to invent a fake candidate, posters, social posts and a video in about seven minutes of processing time. The test comes ahead of the 4 November local government elections.

The team invented a ward candidate, Mila Sanderveld, of a fictional party called the Koraalduin Civic Movement. It used tools including ChatGPT and Magic Hour. Total AI processing time was seven minutes and 13 seconds, and the first candidate photograph took 1 minute and 34 seconds.

The material included campaign posters, a fake social media post, a fake old X post and a short video. A fake Facebook screenshot showed invented engagement of 342 reactions, 196 comments and 87 shares. The authors said the material would be vaguely convincing at a quick scroll.

The authors said they used no real politicians, parties or municipalities, and did not circulate the results as genuine campaign material. They said the elections will likely see hundreds of generative AI attempts to mislead voters. Real411 has recorded 516 complaints related to the elections.

The Independent Electoral Commission introduced an Electoral Code of Conduct Countering Disinformation.

Key facts

Who
Mila Sanderveld; Independent Electoral Commission (electoral body that introduced the Electoral Code of Conduct Countering…)
When
27 October 2026
Where
South Africa, Koraalduin Local Municipality
Status
Reported

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