Media: Russia weighs regulation of AI use in election campaigns

Russia’s Presidential Administration (PA) has begun discussions on regulating the use of artificial intelligence (AI), including neural networks, in political campaigning ahead of the upcoming State Duma elections, according to three sources familiar with the matter cited by Vedomosti.

Proposed amendments to electoral legislation could be introduced as early as spring 2026 and would focus specifically on the use of AI technologies during election campaigns. Currently, Russian electoral law does not address AI in any form, making the development of legally precise language a key challenge, one source said.

Amendments to electoral laws in Russia must be adopted before the official announcement of an election campaign in order to apply to that cycle. The State Duma elections are expected to be scheduled between June 2 and 22, roughly 90–110 days before election day, traditionally held on the third Sunday of September. This timing means any legal changes would need to be finalised before summer.

According to Vedomosti, proposals are now being collected from multiple government agencies, while the Central Election Commission (CEC) is also developing its own recommendations. In July 2025, CEC Chair Ella Pamfilova publicly urged lawmakers to establish a legal framework for AI use in elections, warning that deepfakes pose increasing risks to the integrity of campaigns.

Officials stress that regulation should not undermine AI development more broadly. A federal official noted that Russia plans to launch a national AI development headquarters by presidential order to coordinate implementation across sectors. President Vladimir Putin said in November 2025 that such a body was necessary to ensure confident and systematic progress in the field.

Rather than banning AI outright, some policymakers are advocating for rules governing its use, including mandatory labelling of AI-generated campaign materials. This approach is currently the main focus of discussions within the election administration system, according to one source.

The State Duma’s inter-factional working group on AI has studied foreign practices and concluded that most countries regulate AI in political campaigning through general legal frameworks rather than specialised election laws.

Recent regional elections have underscored the issue. In 2025, AI-generated videos depicting figures resembling sitting regional leaders circulated widely on social media during campaigns in Krasnodar, Perm, Sverdlovsk and Komi. The candidates’ campaign teams did not officially acknowledge responsibility for the content.

Legal disputes have already emerged. In October 2025, Russia’s Second Court of Appeal ruled that using AI-generated images of people in campaign materials violates electoral law, overturning an earlier regional court decision. The Communist Party later appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court.

Lawyers caution that enforcement will be difficult.

“Mandatory labelling is the most obvious solution, but it is poorly protected against violations,” said  lawyer Oleg Zakharov, noting the challenge of stopping anonymous deepfake videos online. He added that sanctions may initially be limited and symbolic, though disclosure requirements could eventually become grounds for disqualifying candidates.

Experts also point to unresolved copyright issues and the widespread use of foreign AI platforms. Konstantin Kostin, head of the Civil Society Development Foundation, said regulation is unavoidable, particularly given the growing role of deepfakes in Russia’s political information space.

By Sabina Mammadli