Bengal SIR: TMC MP Saket Gokhale questions ECI’s 'mysterious' AI app

TMC (Trinamool Congress) Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale on Thursday raised serious concerns over the ECI's (Election Commission of India) plan to deploy an artificial intelligence–based application for the ongoing SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.

In a post on X, Gokhale alleged that the app lacked transparency, claiming that “zero details” had been provided about the technology, its developer, or its capabilities.

"The ECI's mysterious 'AI app'... Now, the Election Commission says they will use an 'AI app' during the SIR exercise in Bengal. As is typical, there are zero details of who made this app and its functionality," Gokhale wrote.

ECI officials have said the AI system will analyse facial similarities across photographs in the voter database to flag potential duplicate or deceased voters. According to them, the tool is intended to strengthen verification during SIR and prevent multiple registrations.

Gokhale, however, questioned why such technology was necessary when “existing PDF software” could detect duplicate entries. He also demanded disclosure of the vendor, developer, and whether the app had undergone any audit to check for artificial intelligence bias.

“Why is AI required for searching duplicate entries when existing PDF software can do it easily? Why is the ECI hiding details of this ‘AI app’? What is the guarantee that this mystery app has not been developed by someone with BJP links?” he asked.

The MP referenced his earlier allegations from 2019, claiming that the ECI had then hired an agency connected to the BJP's IT cell in Maharashtra. He also cited West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s recent letter to the Commission questioning the hiring of 1,000 data-entry operators and 50 software developers from outside the state for the SIR.

Gokhale alleged that the SIR exercise was being conducted in a fast-tracked and “suspicious manner”, adding: “There is zero transparency in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise… Why is the ECI not coming clean?”

The Election Commission has so far not issued a detailed public clarification on the AI tool.