Christodoulides does not rule out AI attempts to influence Cyprus’ 2028 elections — Cyprus Mail

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said in Dublin, Ireland, that he does not rule out attempts to influence the island’s presidential election in February 2028 through artificial intelligence-based disinformation campaigns. Cyprus Mail reported this, citing his statement ahead of an informal European Council summit.

Christodoulides said there are concerns in the EU about the use of technology by malicious actors to influence electoral processes and their outcomes. According to him, EU member states need a legal framework that will protect societies from such threats.

Vulnerability of EU countries

Responding to a question about the next elections in Cyprus, the president noted that the country is also vulnerable to this technological threat. He explained this by saying that similar cases are already being observed in Europe, and the Republic of Cyprus is an EU member.

The president stressed that merely analysing malicious actions is not enough. In his view, it is necessary to create mechanisms that will prevent such actions. Christodoulides named two components of this approach: informing the public and governments’ responsibility for introducing the necessary rules.

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European Commission plans

The European Commission on Tuesday launched consultations on planned changes to the EU Digital Services Act. They concern very large online platforms and search engines and are intended to reduce the risks of information manipulation during elections.

The proposed measures include early detection of coordinated inauthentic activity online, countering the networks that spread it, and assessing suspicious trends before they become widespread. Platforms may also be required to test algorithms for manipulation risks ahead of every national election and keep records of changes to recommendation systems during the six months before voting.

The European Commission also proposes clearly labelling deepfakes, retaining that labelling when materials are shared, and swiftly removing illegal deepfakes of candidates. The consultations will continue until November 23, after which the Commission is expected to submit proposals to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.