Recently, irresponsible parties have attempted to influence Toronto municipal issues through AI "slopaganda"--cheap, mass-produced content that distorts reality.  As we enter the 2026 municipal election campaign, generative content created with AI poses an unprecedented challenge when it comes to fairness and integrity.

We must safeguard the democratic process from AI-generated slopaghanda, which can distort facts and mislead voters.
AI-generated content, including advertisements from candidates, third-party advertisers, and other organisations, has the potential to sway public opinion unfairly. Such content can be created rapidly and in massive quantities, making it easy to flood social media and other platforms with misleading information. We've seen this over and over, whether it be about bus lanes​, corner stores, or announcements from the mayor.

We urge Toronto Elections (and Council as a whole) to take proactive measures to address this issue. Establishing clear guidelines to govern the use of AI in campaign advertisements is crucial. Candidates and third-party advertisers must adhere to standards that ensure transparency and truthfulness. Furthermore, we ask that potential penalties be explored for those found in violation of these guidelines to deter misuse and protect the integrity of our electoral process.

While this may be impossible for the 2026 election cycle, we suggest that a task force made up of experts in technology, law, and electoral processes be created as a constructive step towards formulating and enforcing these guidelines. This group can work collaboratively to assess the potential threats of AI in this context and develop strategies to mitigate them while safeguarding free speech and political expression. 

Sign this petition to call on Toronto Elections and the City of Toronto to explore guidelines and enforce penalties on AI-generated misinformation in political advertising. We are also calling on current candidates and third-party advertisers to disclose their policies regarding generative AI use and to maximize transparency when these tools are employed. Toronto’s democratic integrity depends on it.