Kolkata: The Election Commission (EC) will introduce artificial intelligence-based verification systems during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal to prevent the inclusion of fake or deceased voters, a senior official said on Tuesday.

The AI system will analyse facial similarities across photographs in the voter database to identify individuals registered at multiple locations.

"We are taking the help of AI because of a rise in the number of complaints regarding the misuse of voters' photographs, especially those of migrant workers," the official told PTI. "AI-enabled facial matching technology will be used to detect instances where the same voter's photograph appears in multiple locations across the rolls."

The official emphasised that booth-level officers (BLOs) will continue to play a central role in the verification process. "AI will assist the verification. But despite the use of technology, the role of BLOs will remain crucial. They will be required to conduct door-to-door visits and take voters' photographs directly," he said.

Even after booth-level agents (BLAs) submit completed forms, BLOs must conduct in-person household visits for signature verification. "BLAs will also obtain handwritten statements from voters confirming that the forms were filled in their presence," the official added.

Strict accountability measures have been outlined. "If any fake or deceased voter is detected after enumeration and filling of the form are completed, the responsibility will lie with the BLO of the polling station concerned," he said.