Ukraine’s Central Election Commission explores AI integration in electoral processes

On 22 September, International IDEA conducted an online seminar titled “Introduction to AI, Democracy, and Elections: Opportunities and Threats for the CEC of Ukraine.” The event gathered 125 participants, including CEC commissioners and secretariat staff, marking the first in a planned series aimed at building AI literacy among CEC.

International IDEA’s AI for Electoral Actors initiative underscores that AI has a dual nature: it can distort information environments and erode trust, yet it also offers “untapped potential to improve electoral processes.” The project therefore, helps electoral management bodies (EMBs) understand both the opportunities and risks of AI and use new technologies ethically.

The keynote presentation by Dr Prathm Juneja, an expert with International IDEA’s AI for Electoral Actors programme and a PhD candidate at the Oxford Internet Institute, focused on Ukraine’s specific security context. The session examined how hostile actors, particularly Russia, might weaponize AI against democratic institutions. “The most pressing concern is high-quality audio and video deepfakes, which are becoming nearly indistinguishable from real content,” Dr Juneja explained. “Such manipulations could target local community leaders, lower-profile officials, or CEC staff to undermine confidence in post-war electoral efforts.”

Participants discussed cybersecurity risks such as AI-driven phishing attacks and the spread of non-consensual AI-generated imagery, which disproportionately targets women and may discourage their public participation.

At the same time, examples from other regions illustrated how AI can responsibly support electoral work—from voter education and data processing to social-media monitoring. One CEC participant noted interest in practical tools for drafting documents, analysing data, and automating administrative routines while maintaining security and human oversight.

The discussion stressed that adopting AI requires strong institutional safeguards. International IDEA highlighted the importance of investing in digital literacy, secure IT systems, and inclusive datasets before introducing AI tools. Participants reviewed both successful and problematic global cases, such as the U.S. “Crosscheck” voter database, which mistakenly removed thousands due to excessive automation—showing the need for gradual, transparent adoption.

Ethical considerations featured prominently. Biased algorithms can reproduce existing gender or racial disparities, particularly if trained on non-inclusive data. Building awareness of such biases and ensuring accountability and human review are therefore essential to maintaining trust.

As a practical follow-up, International IDEA will conduct a survey among CEC staff to identify areas where AI could improve workflows. Findings will guide the design of tailored training and pilot projects. This initiative reflects Ukraine’s determination to modernise electoral governance while upholding democratic integrity. As the country prepares for future elections, careful and ethical AI integration will be vital to ensuring secure, inclusive, and credible electoral processes.