AI Is Not an Enemy of Democracy, Amupitan Says

Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Joash Amupitan, defended the use of artificial intelligence in election management at the Beyond the Ballot Summit in Abuja. He said AI could improve voter registration, logistics and data analysis, but warned that generative AI could be used to manipulate voters and spread false announcements through voice cloning and hyperrealistic videos. INEC plans to integrate AI into Nigeria’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 general election, while promising safeguards. The plans come after suspicious, possibly AI-generated photographs were found in the preliminary voter register in Etsako West, Edo State.