2029 Election: Do Not Let Democracy Be Controlled by Algorithms

The 2029 general election has not yet reached the voting stage, but preparations are already drawing attention. The General Elections Commission (KPU) has reminded stakeholders of the importance of coordination and readiness ahead of the 2029 election stages. At the same time, the digital space continues to evolve into a new arena for shaping political opinion.

This situation raises an important question: is Indonesian democracy sufficiently prepared to face an election amid the development of artificial intelligence (AI)?

The question is not without reason. Bawaslu has warned that AI and digital disinformation could pose serious challenges in the 2029 election. Technological developments make it possible to create videos, voices, images and narratives that appear convincing but may not correspond to reality.

In the past, threats to electoral integrity were easier to identify: money politics, intimidation, campaign violations, or manipulation in the voting and counting process. Today, threats can appear in far more subtle forms. A fake video can be made to appear as though a candidate said something. A photograph can be manipulated. A narrative can be spread repeatedly until it is accepted as truth.

It is at this point that democracy faces a new problem. It is no longer simply about who has the most votes, but about how to ensure that those votes arise from the choices of citizens who are free, aware and not manipulated.

The constitution has actually provided a clear foundation. Article 1 paragraph (2) of the 1945 Constitution affirms that sovereignty lies in the hands of the people and is exercised according to the Constitution. Article 1 paragraph (3) affirms that Indonesia is a state based on law.

The meaning is simple but fundamental: popular sovereignty must be exercised through constitutional mechanisms and in accordance with the law. Therefore, technology must not take over the space of citizens’ freedom in determining their political choices.

Democracy must not turn into algorithmic democracy.

Algorithms operate based on data patterns and the interests of digital systems. Democracy operates based on the will of citizens. The two must not be interchanged. When algorithms increasingly determine what the public sees, believes and ultimately chooses, there is a risk that political decisions no longer fully arise from the rational considerations of voters.

The problem is not the technology itself. AI can provide great benefits for democratic life, including expanding access to information, assisting public services and improving efficiency. What must be anticipated is its misuse.

Therefore, preparations for the 2029 election must be directed towards electoral law reform capable of keeping pace with technological developments.

First, clearer rules are needed regarding the use of AI in campaigns. Political content created or manipulated using AI needs a transparency mechanism so that the public can understand the context and source of the information they receive.

Second, oversight of digital campaigns must be strengthened. The digital space must not become a lawless territory. The spread of disinformation deliberately designed to influence voters must be addressed through mechanisms that are swift, objective and still respect freedom of expression.

Third, the protection of voters’ personal data must become an important part of electoral integrity. Citizens’ data must not be treated merely as a political commodity for building manipulative campaign strategies.

Fourth, the capacity of election organisers and law enforcers must be improved. The KPU, Bawaslu, DKPP, Gakkumdu Centres and judicial institutions need to have the ability to deal with forms of violations that use digital technology.

However, legal reform will not be sufficient without political culture reform.

Political parties must seriously build cadre development based on integrity, competence and track record. Political contestation should be an arena for competing ideas about the nation’s future, not a race to create an image through viral content.

The mass media also bear a great responsibility. Amid the flood of information, the media must serve as a space for verification and clarification of information. Speed of reporting is important, but accuracy is far more important.

The public must also take part. Voters must not become passive consumers of political information. Every piece of information must be verified. Every claim must be tested. Every candidate must be assessed based on track record, capacity, integrity and ideas.

Thus, political literacy and digital literacy must become part of the national democracy agenda towards the 2029 election.

We must not repeat the mistake of waiting for problems to occur before making rules. The development of AI is already happening today. Therefore, legal anticipation must also begin today.

The 2029 election must be prepared not only in terms of logistics, voter lists, ballot papers and readiness of polling stations. What is far more important is ensuring that the information ecosystem shaping the public’s political choices remains healthy.

Because when the public chooses based on false information, it is not only a particular candidate who is harmed. What is harmed is popular sovereignty itself.

In the end, democracy is not merely about who wins. Democracy is about how victory is achieved through a process that is honest, fair, transparent and constitutional.

Indonesia does not need an election that is merely administratively successful. Indonesia needs an election capable of maintaining the people’s trust in the rule of law.

The 2029 election must become a momentum to prove that technology can be a tool to strengthen democracy, not an instrument to manipulate it.

Do not let democracy be controlled by algorithms. Ensure that technology submits to the law, and that the law remains on the side of popular sovereignty.