Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik
Vol 30, No 1 (2026): July

AI-Driven Campaigns: A Sign of a Shift from Democracy to Algocracy?

Kalimah Wasis Lestari (Department of Politics, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia)
Hari Fitrianto (Department of Politics, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia)
Febby Risti Widjayanto (Department of Politics, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia)
Ekkarin Tuansiri (Faculty of Political Science, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, Thailand)



Article Info

Publish Date
03 Sep 2026

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms’ algorithms could generate information and strategies for electoral campaigns. One of the leading AI platforms in Indonesia, pemilu.ai, can produce AI-driven campaigns, priority programs, and priority districts based on legislative candidate preferences. This research aims to understand the impact of AI-driven campaigns on the evolving democratic process, particularly during the 2024 Indonesian election. We utilised case study analysis by combining archival data with semi-structured interviews with an AI platform’s CEO and founders, governments, and AI experts. The results indicate a transformation of election campaign strategies driven by AI technology. While AI potentially promotes democracy by suggesting campaign management effectiveness, lowering campaign budgets, and providing a better understanding of constituent issues, the risk of AI to democracy should be considered, including the risk of inequality in decision-making, particularly for minority issues. The use of AI in election campaigns to determine a candidate's program and strategy may drive the shift from democracy to algocracy, a system where algorithms take a central role in the decision-making process. This article extends democracy literature with regard to the roles of AI technology.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

jsp

Publisher

Subject

Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice Social Sciences

Description

Jurnal Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik (JSP) is an open access, and peer-reviewed journal. Our main goal is to disseminate current and original articles from researchers and practitioners on various contemporary social and political issues: gender politics and identity, digital society and disruption, ...