The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, has said artificial intelligence is not a threat to democracy, despite concerns over its potential misuse during elections.
Amupitan said the technology could improve election management through efficient voter registration, logistics planning, data analysis and the management of large voter databases.
He spoke on Monday at the Beyond the Ballot Summit in Abuja, where he noted that electoral bodies across the world were increasingly adopting artificial intelligence to improve administrative efficiency and strengthen election planning.
The INEC chairman, however, warned that the growing accessibility of generative AI tools could make it easier for individuals to create misleading content capable of undermining public confidence in elections.
He identified voice cloning, manipulated videos and fake announcements attributed to public officials as some of the threats that could arise from the misuse of the technology.
Amupitan said such developments could be exploited to manipulate voters, spread disinformation and disrupt the electoral process.
His remarks come as INEC prepares to integrate artificial intelligence into Nigeria’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 general election.
Concerns over the technology heightened recently following the discovery of questionable photographs in INEC’s preliminary Register of Voters in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.
The images, suspected to have been generated using artificial intelligence, raised questions about the integrity of the voter database and the registration process.
INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, reportedly linked some of the questionable images to irregularities allegedly introduced by registration officers with access to the system.
READ ALSO: INEC Blames Registration Officers For AI-Generated Photos In Voters’ Register
The commission has said the register remains preliminary and will undergo verification, data cleaning and necessary corrections before the final version is certified.
INEC maintains that its planned adoption of artificial intelligence is aimed at improving the credibility, transparency and efficiency of elections while addressing the risks associated with digital manipulation.
