Get Guardian on Google***Jega urges INEC to deploy AI-powered Chatbot
The European Union has warned against using the threat of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated misinformation as a pretext to suppress political dissent, silence journalists or restrict freedom of expression ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The body said measures to combat foreign information manipulation and interference must respect democratic rights, including freedom of expression, media freedom and citizens’ right to participate in public debate.
EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, gave the warning on Monday at the National Summit on Electoral Information Integrity, organised by the International Press Centre (IPC), the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO) and DAI under the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Programme in Abuja.
The two-day summit is themed, “Beyond the Ballot: AI, FIMI and the Integrity of Nigeria’s 2027 Elections.”
He said while artificial intelligence could support translation, accessibility and communication, it could also make deception easier to produce and more difficult to recognise.
According to him, the challenge goes beyond detecting deepfakes to building an electoral information environment where reliable information is available, institutions communicate credibly, independent journalism thrives and manipulation meets a prepared response.
Mignot stressed that citizens questioning public institutions should not automatically be regarded as spreading misinformation, adding that journalists reporting institutional failures were performing an important democratic responsibility.
“The legitimate threat of AI manipulation must never become a pretext for state overreach, digital censorship or suppression of political dissent.
“A citizen questioning an institution is not necessarily spreading misinformation. A journalist reporting a failure is performing a democratic function,” he said.
He called on stakeholders to establish clear response mechanisms before the 2027 elections, noting that election day would be too late to determine responsibilities, verification channels and communication procedures.
He identified three priorities for Nigeria ahead of the 2027 elections: preparing before electoral pressure intensifies, making stakeholder partnerships operational and protecting democratic rights while safeguarding electoral information.
Speaking, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, called on the commission to consider deploying artificial intelligence-powered chatbots to provide voters with accurate electoral information and counter misinformation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Jega, who chaired the summit, said the technology could enable citizens seeking electoral information to obtain official responses quickly and verify the authenticity of information circulating in the public space.
He disclosed that the recommendation followed discussions at the 2024 Cambridge Conference on Electoral Democracy, where participants examined ways election management bodies, particularly in Africa, could deploy chatbots to reduce the impact of misinformation and disinformation.
He urged INEC to consider the proposal if it had yet to adopt such a system, saying the positive applications of AI could complement efforts to protect electoral information integrity.
Earlier, INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, warned that artificial intelligence could be exploited to circulate fake election results, forged operational directives and fabricated information capable of triggering confusion and violence during the 2027 general elections.
He said synthetic audio and manipulated documents could falsely announce election results or claim that polls had been cancelled in key constituencies, potentially undermining public confidence and disrupting the collation process.
Amupitan said the commission was strengthening its technological capacity and communication systems to detect deepfakes, verify suspicious media and issue authoritative clarifications.
He identified voter education, technological safeguards, real-time responses and partnerships with social media platforms as key priorities.
In his remarks, Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Mr Lanre Arogundade, said awareness alone would not be sufficient to address the growing threats posed by AI and information manipulation.
He called for a coordinated and rights-respecting system through which institutions could identify, verify and escalate incidents while communicating accurate information to the public.
Arogundade said the summit brought together more than 300 participants drawn from electoral institutions, regulators, security agencies, political parties, media organisations, technology platforms, telecommunications operators, fact-checkers, civil society groups and academia.
He said participants would examine emerging threats, undertake practical simulations and work towards an electoral information integrity response protocol with clear responsibilities and timelines.
