2027: Fake AI Videos, Audio Threaten Elections — INEC Raises Alarm 3
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that artificial intelligence-driven disinformation poses a serious threat to the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), said electoral technology and communication must now be treated as a single discipline, noting that the commission’s credibility depends not only on ballots, BVAS and result sheets, but on how voters understand and trust the process.
Amupitan spoke on Wednesday in Abuja in a keynote address delivered on his behalf by National Commissioner Sani Adam (SAN) at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria.
The conference theme was “Media, Technology and Elections in Africa: Navigating Digital Disruption and the New Dynamics of Electoral Communication.”
He said BVAS and IReV were deployed to address transparency concerns by allowing citizens to view polling-unit results before collation, but acknowledged that the 2023 election showed technology could become a source of doubt when it underperforms.
“Legitimacy is earned only when systems perform reliably, are well understood, and are explained honestly when they fall short,” he said.
On preparations for 2027, Amupitan disclosed that INEC is conducting a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems — including system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery plans — and is considering a mock presidential election to test voter accreditation, result transmission and result viewing under election-day conditions.
He raised alarm over generative AI being used to create synthetic audio, video and images to mislead voters, noting such content is cheaper to produce, harder to detect, and already circulating in West and East Africa.
“The danger lies not only in outright fabrication but also in algorithmic microtargeting, which allows conflicting messages to reach narrow segments of the electorate without a shared factual foundation,” he warned, adding such content could reach millions before fact-checkers can respond.
Amupitan said INEC has proposed a substantial budget for technology and operations, including new accreditation devices to replace those lost or damaged, but is still awaiting full release of funds. Its ICT team has begun engagements with manufacturers.
He outlined a five-point strategy: integrating technology and communication planning, establishing a rapid-response mechanism to counter falsehoods within the same news cycle, proactively communicating vulnerabilities and safeguards, deepening collaboration with media, fact-checkers and tech platforms, and investing in public media literacy.
He urged media professionals, technology experts and scholars to work with INEC to strengthen public trust before 2027.
