2027: AI Misuse No Longer a Distant Risk, INEC Warns

 

 The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that the misuse of artificial intelligence in creating and spreading manipulated content is no longer a distant or theoretical threat to Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, raised the concern on Monday in Abuja while declaring open a capacity-building workshop for the commission’s Public Affairs Officers from across the country. 

Haruna said the growing accessibility of generative AI had made it cheaper and increasingly difficult to detect fabricated audio, videos and images that could mislead voters.

He added that the threat went beyond deepfakes and other fabricated materials, as AI could also be used to create highly targeted messages aimed at different groups of voters, potentially exposing them to conflicting narratives.

“Generative AI has made it cheaper and considerably harder to detect manipulated audio, video and images,” Haruna said. 

He said the development had made it necessary for electoral technology and electoral communication to be treated as interconnected aspects of election management.

Haruna also referenced a recent position by INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, that the credibility of elections now depends not only on ballot papers, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and result sheets, but also on the information environment in which voters make decisions. 

The workshop, themed “Strengthening PAOs Capacity for Credible, Verified and Responsible Election Communication Towards 2027,” is designed to equip INEC’s public affairs officers with skills in verification, escalation and clear communication as the election approaches.

Haruna described the officers as the commission’s frontline communicators at the state level, stressing that the credibility of INEC’s public communication would depend significantly on their work.

The Deputy Director of Information and Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah, said the training would also cover the responsible use of AI in communication, including its practical applications, limitations, confidentiality requirements and verification safeguards.