‘Artificial Intelligence Is Not an Enemy of Democracy’: INEC Chairman Defends AI in Elections

‘Artificial Intelligence Is Not an Enemy of Democracy’: INEC Chairman Defends AI in Elections

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has defended plans to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Nigeria’s electoral system.

Amupitan argued that the technology could improve election administration, dismissing suggestions that its growing influence poses an inherent danger to democracy.

He spoke on Monday at The Beyond the Ballot Summit in Abuja, where he highlighted AI’s potential benefits for electoral management.

According to him, the technology could improve voter registration, coordinate election logistics, analyse data and manage extensive voter databases.

He explained that electoral management bodies across the world were increasingly adopting AI-assisted systems to strengthen administrative efficiency and improve election planning.

The INEC chairman, however, cautioned against the growing accessibility of generative AI tools, warning that malicious individuals could exploit them to manipulate voters.

He said, “Artificial Intelligence, AI, is not an enemy of democracy.”

Amupitan nevertheless expressed concern that sophisticated digital manipulation was becoming easier and cheaper, creating fresh challenges for electoral institutions.

“However, the rapid democratisation of generative AI models has dramatically lowered the barrier to entry for malicious actors.”

He identified high-quality voice cloning of public figures and realistic videos of election officials making false announcements among the emerging dangers.

“Capabilities that once required state-level intelligence resources—such as high-fidelity voice cloning of public figures, hyper-realistic video synthesis of election officials making false announcements,”

“or automated bot networks simulating organic public outrage—are now accessible at negligible cost.”

“These tools target specific vulnerabilities across distinct timeline windows,” he warned.

The development raises concerns about fabricated electoral announcements, manipulated recordings and convincing videos capable of misleading voters and impersonating public officials.

Such materials could also disrupt election administration, particularly when circulated rapidly across social media platforms during sensitive electoral periods.

Although AI offers opportunities for improving election management, its misuse could weaken public confidence and create serious challenges for electoral integrity.

INEC’s planned adoption of the technology has therefore increased attention on the safeguards needed to prevent misinformation and digital interference.

The commission has maintained that integrating AI into its operations would strengthen transparency, credibility and efficiency ahead of the 2027 general elections.

However, concerns about the reliability of its voter database have already emerged following the discovery of questionable photographs.

The images, suspected to include AI-generated photographs, were reportedly found in INEC’s preliminary Register of Voters in Etsako West Local Government Area.

The discovery in Edo State raised questions about the procedures used to capture, verify and authenticate information submitted during voter registration.

INEC subsequently acknowledged the questionable records and announced an investigation into how the photographs entered its preliminary database.

The commission’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, reportedly linked some AI-generated images to irregularities allegedly introduced by registration officers.

He explained that the officers involved had access to the registration system, raising further questions about internal controls and verification procedures.

The incident has added another dimension to discussions surrounding INEC’s proposed deployment of artificial intelligence ahead of the 2027 elections.

As preparations continue, the commission faces the challenge of embracing technological improvements while protecting voters from digitally manufactured falsehoods.