Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544648
12 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 29 APRIL 2026 ELECTION 2026 Edits flood social media as Malta heads for its first election in the age of AI ELECTIONS in Malta come and go. Some are remembered due to the pressing issues voters must decide on, while others live on as historically significant elections that marked a turning point in Malta's history. In the first hours of the 2026 election campaign, one factor has distinguished this election from those that came before: artificial intelligence. It has been less than 24 hours since the starting whistle for this election was blown, and social media is already flooded with election-related AI content. Among the most popular AI edits are the countless memes surrounding the Nationalist Par- ty's campaign slogan, "Nifs Ġdid" (A fresh start). Minutes after the party unveiled the slogan, Face- book users saw photos of Alex Borg smoking a cigarette, sur- rounded by cannabis plants, and even one where he is filling up balloons with what appears to be helium. Meanwhile, Labour's slogan, "Int Malta" (You are Malta) is ev- idently too easy to make fun of. MaltaToday received countless edits of the PL's banner where the word "Malta" was replaced by just about any adjective, resulting in eye-catching banners such as "Int Ġaħan" and "Int Għoxx." Another AI edit prompted backlash, as a PL billboard read out "Int India," in an attempt to mock the PL for the influx of for- eign workers. Interestingly, the Labour Party seems to be leaning into the age of AI, as the party released a vid- eo completely produced by AI to explain its first batch of propos- als. Whatever the outcome of the 2026 election may be, one thing is certain: the age of AI may pro- duce problems and nightmares beyond human comprehension, but at least it gives us a quick and easy way to poke fun at political parties. Feel free to send us your favour- ite 2026 election memes on our Facebook page. MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt PN Leader Alex Borg and the Labour Party's election slogan were the biggest targets of AI memes during the first day of the election campaign