Did AKD Present the Official NPP Election Manifesto via AI Technology? Find out facts…

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The presidential elections in Sri Lanka are scheduled for September 21. As several candidates have already started making cash deposits before the date of accepting the nomination on August 15^th, election-related misleading posts have gradually begun to emerge among social media circles.

Social Media Posts

Social Media Posts claim that Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD), leader of the National People's Power (NPP) party in Sri Lanka, presented the party's election manifesto using AI technology on July 27, 2024.

These posts were based on some misleading web news. Such can be reached here.

Many users had been waiting to see the NPP's election manifesto for the upcoming elections, so this news caught their attention.

FB

Explanation:

On July 27, 2024, claims circulated on social media and certain web news platforms stating that Anura Kumara Dissanayake presented the NPP's election manifesto via a website using AI technology. However, a thorough investigation reveals that this claim is inaccurate.

What Really Happened?

Launch of Anura Kumara's Official Website:

On July 27, Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) launched his official website. This event marked the introduction of a significant digital presence for the NPP leader.

The website features an AI-powered chatbot that provides information based on the NPP's basic policies and principles. This chatbot interacts with users to answer queries about the party's policies and Anura Kumara's political stance. The link to the website is >> https://www.akd.lk/

No Election Manifesto Released: NPP Media

Contrary to the claim, no election manifesto was introduced on July 27. The event was solely the launch of the official website of AKD and the NPP Policy Centre, which features an AI-powered chatbot.

The NPP media unit confirmed that the AI chatbot was introduced to enhance user engagement by answering queries based on the party's fundamental policies in Sinhala, English, and Tamil. The unit also confirmed that it is not a platform for presenting a formal election manifesto.

The manifesto will be introduced to the public towards the end half of August, after the date of accepting nominations for the presidential election, August 15^th.

NPP Policy Centre Inauguration:

On July 27^th, at the same venue, the NPP inaugurated its Policy Centre at Jayanthi Mawatha. This centre is dedicated to developing and discussing the party's policies but is unrelated to the launch of any election manifesto.

Cross Verification Process

Website Check: A visit to Anura Kumara Dissanayake's newly launched website confirmed the presence of the AI chatbot. The chatbot provides information about the party's policies but does not contain or present an election manifesto.

Some instances of social media users interacting with the chatbot can be found here and here.

Cross-referencing: No credible sources or official announcements support the claim that an election manifesto was presented via AI technology on July 27. Most news outlets have reported the launch of AKD's new website, mentioning that it featured AI-based technology to answer queries.

The use of AI in election campaigns has been a key theme in 2024, a year marked by several major elections in democracies around the world. The recently concluded elections in India and Pakistan also showed several instances where AI-based technologies were used constructively for election campaigning and as a tool for spreading disinformation.

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Conclusion

The claim that Anura Kumara Dissanayake presented the NPP's election manifesto using AI technology on July 27, 2024, is false. The actual event was the launch of his official website, which features an AI-powered chatbot to provide information on the party's policies. The NPP Policy Centre was also inaugurated on the same day in the same location (Baththaramulla, Jayanthi Mawatha ), further contributing to the day's events but unrelated to any election manifesto presentation.