INEC Chairman Calls for Media Verification of AI Content

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned media organizations to verify artificial intelligence-generated content before publication to prevent the spread of deepfakes ahead of the 2027 general elections. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made this call on Wednesday at the AI Democracy Forum in Abuja, themed “Will Algorithms Determine the 2027 Vote?

Safeguarding Nigeria’s 2027 General Election in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” He emphasized that sensational and misleading digital content could undermine electoral integrity if not verified. Amupitan urged political parties and candidates to sign an ethical code of conduct prohibiting the use of AI-generated deception to manipulate voters.

He also called for civil society organizations to strengthen monitoring mechanisms and for grassroots digital literacy campaigns to help citizens identify misleading online content. Furthermore, he urged security agencies to undergo advanced training in digital forensics while ensuring that efforts to address digital manipulation respect constitutional rights and the rule of law.