Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Amupitan, has defended the use of artificial intelligence in election management, arguing that the technology can improve electoral administration despite the risks associated with its misuse.
Amupitan spoke on Monday at “The Beyond the Ballot Summit” in Abuja, where he highlighted the potential of AI to enhance voter registration, logistics planning, data analysis and the management of large voter databases.
He said: “Artificial Intelligence, AI, is not an enemy of democracy.”
The INEC chairman, however, warned that the growing accessibility of generative AI tools had lowered the barriers for individuals seeking to manipulate voters and spread disinformation during elections.
“However, the rabid democratisation of generative AI models has dramatically lowered the barrier to entry for malicious actors, capacities, capabilities that want to require speedy-level intelligence resources such as high voice cloning of public figures, hyper realistic synthesis of election officials making false announcements are now accessible at negligible cost. These tools target specific vulnerabilities with distinct timelines,” he said.
Amupitan explained that electoral management bodies around the world have adopted AI-assisted processes to improve administrative efficiency and strengthen election planning.
His remarks come amid preparations for the 2027 general election, following INEC’s announcement of plans to integrate artificial intelligence into Nigeria’s electoral system.
The proposed adoption has generated concerns over the possible use of fabricated announcements, manipulated audio recordings and realistic videos to mislead voters, impersonate public officials and disrupt election administration.
While AI offers opportunities to improve the efficiency of electoral processes, its misuse could pose challenges to election integrity, particularly as false information spreads rapidly across social media platforms.
INEC’s planned integration of the technology has, therefore, placed renewed focus on the need for safeguards against misinformation, impersonation and other forms of digital manipulation.
The controversy surrounding AI in Nigeria’s electoral process intensified after suspicious photographs, including images believed to have been generated by artificial intelligence, were discovered in the commission’s preliminary Register of Voters.
The photographs appeared in some voter records in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, raising questions about the integrity of the voter database and the processes used to capture and verify registration information.
INEC acknowledged the questionable records and said it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the photographs.
The commission’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, said some of the AI-generated images are linked to irregularities allegedly introduced by registration officers who had access to the system.
INEC has maintained that the register remains preliminary and subject to verification, data cleaning and correction before the final register is certified.