Nigeria’s upcoming election marred by rising AI disinformation

Nigeria’s preliminary voter register has been criticised after it reportedly included images believed to be AI-generated, alongside duplicate entries and records for people who have died. The findings have raised concerns about the electoral commission’s readiness and the credibility of the 2027 general election.

Commission chairman Joash Amupitan said INEC is investigating discrepancies and has created a unit to monitor AI-related threats and detect deepfakes. Fact-checkers say AI-generated political content is becoming commonplace, while experts warn that it could both spread falsehoods and make people doubt genuine evidence; Nigeria also faced fabricated images and videos during the 2023 election.