Precedent: Ban on the Use of AI-Generated Soldier Figures

The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Noam Sohlberg, ordered Gadi Eizenkot today (Thursday) to remove a video he posted on social media, after it was determined that it featured figures of IDF soldiers created by artificial intelligence. The decision sets a precedent for the current election cycle: even soldier figures created by artificial means may be considered prohibited use of the IDF in election propaganda.

In the video posted by Eizenkot, he is seen walking against a backdrop of various landscapes and figures. Among other things, it featured figures of IDF soldiers in military activities, including combat, presence in a combat zone, knocking on a house door that appears to be an army notification regarding casualties, and a military ceremony. According to the Central Elections Committee, these figures were created using artificial intelligence.

The decision was made following a petition filed by the Likud party against the video. Likud argued that this constitutes the use of public assets in election propaganda, in violation of election law. Sohlberg accepted the argument and ruled that although the video was published before the special directive prohibiting the use of the IDF in election propaganda came into effect, the general prohibition on the use of public assets applies in this case as well.

In his decision, the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee determined that the uniforms and figures of IDF soldiers are a significant component of the video's propaganda message and that they create an association between Eizenkot and the IDF. It was further determined that the use of uniforms, which were defined in the decision as an "intangible public asset," constitutes prohibited use of public assets for election propaganda purposes.

In light of this, Sohlberg ordered Eizenkot to remove the video from all his social media accounts. The practical implication of the decision is that in the current election cycle, it will not be possible to use figures of IDF soldiers in political propaganda, even when they are figures created by artificial intelligence and not real soldiers.