Gen Z, AI, and 2025 elections: New generation faces new campaign
AI composite photo from Inquirer stock photos
MANILA, Philippines—As the 2025 midterm elections approach, the Filipino voter stands at a crossroads—empowered by access to information, yet vulnerable to AI-driven manipulation.
As campaigns embrace technology to reach more voters, the profiles, priorities, and platforms of the electorate are shifting. And so is the way power is pursued.
Who is the Filipino voter today?
According to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), over 68.6 million Filipinos have registered to vote in the 2025 polls.
Comelec Chair George Garcia estimated that 20 million Gen Z voters are expected to participate in the midterm elections.
“Kung ang pagbabasehan natin yung Barangay and SK (Sangguniang Kabataan) Elections, sabihin na natin isama nating yung 15 to 17 years old, ang botante ay almost 24 million. More or less, nag eexpect tayo ng mga hanggang 20 million members of Gen Z na mga kabataan,” Garcia said.
(If we base it on the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, let’s say we include those aged 15 to 17, the number of voters would be almost 24 million. More or less, we’re expecting around 20 million Gen Z youth voters.)
Gen Z, typically defined as those born between 1997 and 2012 (roughly ages 12 to 27 in 2025), represents a generation of voters who are not only young but also deeply immersed in social media and algorithm-driven content—factors that continue to shape how they receive information and form political opinions.
In a television interview, political analyst Edna Co stressed the importance of the youth vote.
“Gen Z voters are what we call ‘the digital generation.’ They’re not just passive receivers of information—they can also be active participants and shapers of how technology is used and how information is spread through digital means. They’re also the ones educating voters from other age groups,” Co said in a mix of English and Filipino.
One of these Gen Z voters, Sebastian, a 27-year-old voter from Metro Manila, mirrors the mixed feelings many young Filipinos have about the upcoming elections. He admitted feeling disillusioned ahead of the 2025 polls.
“It’s just that the candidates this year feel kind of weird,” he told INQUIRER.netin a mix of English and Filipino.
For Sebastian, the frustration stems from the quality—or lack—of leadership being offered.
“There are so many candidates who are lazy—no platforms and no clear plans—but they’re popular with the masses, while the candidates who actually have platforms and concrete means don’t connect with voters,” he explained.
What do voters care about?
Jobs, health, and food security remain top priorities for many Filipinos heading into the 2025 midterm elections.
A March 2025 survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS) found that 92 percent of respondents want greater efforts to create jobs, while 91 percent said developing the agriculture sector, ensuring food security, and improving access to health care are just as important.
Education also ranked high, with 90 percent citing access to quality learning as a key concern. Meanwhile, 89 percent of voters said they want stronger action to protect workers’ rights and the welfare of overseas Filipino workers.
For Sebastian, these national concerns feel personal:
“Education, care for the elderly/PWD (persons with disabilities), better wages for workers, child welfare, safety and security,” he listed as his top issues when choosing a candidate.
However, Sebastian observed that while some candidates genuinely raise youth concerns, they are often overshadowed.
“Yes, [there are candidates pushing for youth issues], but the others outweigh them,” he said.
AI meets the Filipino campaign trail
AI is quietly transforming the way political campaigns operate in the Philippines. Experts described how campaigns are using AI to automate voter interaction, generate and test content, and segment audiences based on behavior patterns online.
READ: The many ways AI could enhance, sway elections
The United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) noted that AI can enhance voter engagement and election security but also warned of its darker uses, particularly in spreading disinformation.
According to UNRIC, AI can boost the efficiency and accuracy of elections by supporting voter communication, improving data management, and helping secure digital platforms through threat detection and response.
AI-powered tools, such as chatbots, can deliver real-time information about polling locations, candidate platforms, and voting procedures, enhancing accessibility and transparency.
The UN agency said AI can also assist election officials by ensuring accurate collection, storage, and analysis of electoral data, enabling faster decision-making and better trend identification.
Further, AI’s capabilities in cybersecurity can help detect anomalies and fraudulent activities, reinforcing the integrity of election systems against cyber threats.
But for many young voters, the increasing role of AI in politics is also a cause for concern.
“I double-check articles if manipulated sila ng AI,” Sebastian said. “Pag may nakikitang sus, kahit fake news, chinecheck agad. Pero yung mga reposters, sobrang naniniwala, kaya nakakawalang gana,” he added.
(I double-check articles to see if they were manipulated by AI. When I spot something suspicious, even if it’s fake news, I immediately verify it. But there are so many people who just repost without checking—they believe everything, and it’s really discouraging.)
He added that he often encounters political ads online but finds many off-putting rather than persuasive.
More dangers of AI in the electoral process
Despite AI’s potential to improve elections, the UN acknowledged significant risks—chief among them, deepfakes that can mislead voters.
UNRIC warned that AI-generated content, particularly deepfakes—highly realistic but fake audio, video, and images—pose a severe threat to the integrity of the electoral process.
These manipulations can mislead voters, distort candidates’ statements, and erode trust in the system.
“AI tools can also be used by those with malicious intent. AI models can help people to harm themselves and each other, at massive scale,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
READ: One Tech Tip: How to spot AI-generated deepfake images
The Philippines has already seen AI-related disinformation incidents, including a deepfake video falsely presenting ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol as projecting a presidential win for a senator who wasn’t even running.
The video, which also featured manipulated images and voices of a news anchor, a reporter, and a political analyst, was quickly disowned by the network as “false and fabricated.”
READ: TikTok video on 2028 election survey ‘false, fabricated’ – ABS-CBN News
The growing sophistication of AI-generated content makes disinformation more convincing, emotionally impactful, and increasingly difficult to detect and counter, the UN agency noted.
READ: Analysts warn vs AI, ‘deepfakes’ in 2025 polls
Comelec has taken notice. It is considering banning the use of AI-generated campaign materials to protect the integrity of the 2025 elections.
“The abuse of AI technology and deepfake videos undermines the integrity of elections and the credibility of public officials, candidates, and election management authorities,” said Comelec chair Garcia.
“The abuse of this technology in campaign materials such as videos, audios, or other media forms may amount to fraudulent misrepresentation of candidates. This defeats the very purpose of a campaign, which is to fully and truthfully inform the voting public about the elections and the candidates,” Garcia added.
READ: Comelec eyes ban on deepfakes, AI in 2025 midterm polls
Still, for many voters like Sebastian, skepticism runs deep—not just toward technology, but the entire political system.
“I don’t really trust most politicians,” he said. “It’s always the ‘pick the lesser evil’ thing every election.”
How aware are voters?
Although many Gen Z voters are tech-savvy, not everyone is fully aware of how algorithms and AI-driven campaigns influence the content they see online during elections.
Despite widespread internet use, many Filipino voters don’t realize that their online behavior shapes political ads, articles, and even memes tailored to their preferences.
Daniel Innearity, a Spanish philosopher and political expert, pointed out in a UNESCO report that AI helps campaign strategists gather real-time insights from user comments, allowing them to adjust their approach based on public opinion.
However, experts have raised concerns about the darker side of AI in elections. AI can be used to spread misinformation and sway voters’ perceptions by distributing false information designed to suppress turnout.
“Bad actors could use AI tools to create and distribute convincingly false messages about where or when to cast a ballot, or to discourage voters from showing up to their polling locations in the first place,” explained Adav Noti, executive director of Campaign Legal Center (CLC).
One of the biggest concerns is the rise of fake accounts and inauthentic behavior online. A study by Israeli tech firm Cyabra found that nearly 45 percent of conversations about the 2025 Philippine elections were driven by bots and deceptive networks.
READ: Duterte praise, PH election spin driven by fake accounts – study
These same networks have been used in the past to amplify political narratives, such as those supporting former President Rodrigo Duterte during the International Criminal Court’s investigation into him.
“What we found in the Philippines isn’t just disinformation spike — it’s digital warfare,” said Cyabra CEO Dan Brahmy, noting how these networks manipulate public sentiment to manufacture consensus and polarize debate.
The issue is even more critical in rural and underserved areas, where access to the internet and reliable information is limited.
In the 2023 Digital Quality of Life Index, the Philippines ranked 74th out of 121 countries for its digital infrastructure, showing that internet access is still uneven across regions.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) recognizes that closing the digital divide remains a challenge, especially in remote areas.
The ASEAN Digital Literacy Programme has also highlighted that young people, women, and Indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable to disinformation due to limited access to technology and digital education.
While these groups are not disengaged, they face significant barriers to accessing diverse or corrective information.
In response, election watchdogs and media coalitions are increasing fact-checking efforts and voter education campaigns to combat AI-driven propaganda and fake news.
Sebastian is well aware of the digital landscape but remains frustrated by it.
“Good luck [with] voting! Come on, some weird pastor, someone dancing to budots, and another TV star? Please vote wisely,” he said, urging fellow youth voters. “The country really, really, really, REALLY depends on it.”
A more personal vote—for better or worse
The Filipino voter in 2025 is no longer just courted with handshakes and posters. They are studied, segmented, and targeted with content tailored to their habits, fears, and aspirations—sometimes without even realizing it.
AI offers opportunities to engage more voters, streamline communication, and modernize election systems. But without transparency and accountability, it also risks deepening existing inequalities, eroding trust, and manipulating public opinion at scale.
As Filipinos head to the polls, the biggest question may not just be who they vote for, but why, and whether their decision was freely made, or quietly shaped long before they reached the ballot box.
Graphics by Ed Lustan/Inquirer.net. Source: Comelec, UNRIC, Social Weather Stations
