Artificial Intelligence is not an adversary to democratic systems, according to Prof. Joash Amupitan, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Speaking on Monday in Abuja at The Beyond The Ballot Summit, Amupitan noted that electoral authorities worldwide leverage AI technologies to manage extensive voter databases, optimize supply chains, enhance data analytics, and boost overall administrative performance.
What are the major security risks associated with generative AI?
While outlining the benefits, the INEC boss cautioned that the rapid expansion of generative AI tools has significantly reduced operational barriers for bad actors. Capabilities that previously required advanced intelligence infrastructure—such as voice cloning of prominent figures and hyper-realistic synthetic videos of electoral officers issuing false statements—can now be executed cheaply and swiftly to exploit specific vulnerabilities.
How does this impact upcoming polls?
This address follows Amupitan's recent announcement regarding the planned incorporation of artificial intelligence into the country's electoral framework ahead of the 2027 general elections. Electoral management bodies globally continue to weigh the administrative advantages of automated systems against the growing threat of election-related misinformation and deepfake media.