2027: INEC removes AI-generated photos from voters register, flags staff in 10 states

The Independent National Electoral Commission has removed artificial intelligence-generated photographs uploaded to the national voters’ register and flagged officials involved in the practice across 10 states for disciplinary action.

INEC National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this during a webinar titled ‘AI, Misinformation and Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Safeguarding the Truth, Protecting the Vote’, organised by the PUNCH Media Foundation on Wednesday.

Haruna, who is also the Chairman of INEC Information and Voter Education Committee, described the development as a major challenge.

He also noted that the commission faced limitations in preventing individuals from enhancing their photographs before uploading them to the voters’ register.

Haruna, however, said the commission had identified cases involving its own officials and was taking steps to address the violations.

“We have already seen one of the challenges, which is that a lot of AI-generated photographs were posted onto the voters’ register, which, as we have said, we have had to take down,” he said.

Haruna explained that while it might be difficult to prevent members of the public from manipulating their photographs before uploading them, the commission had greater control over cases involving its personnel.

“But the ones involving our own staff, where it is our own staff that did so, that one is within our control. We are in the process of addressing it. They have been flagged,” he said.

The commissioner disclosed that the officials had been identified in about 10 states and would face disciplinary action.

“We have their names across about 10 states, and obviously, they are going to face disciplinary action,” he added.

On the commission’s preparedness to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in the electoral process, Haruna said INEC had developed an AI policy but was still working to finalise it.

He noted that artificial intelligence presented new challenges that were still evolving, making it difficult for countries, including advanced democracies, to establish comprehensive regulatory frameworks.

“As you know very well, it is new territory out there. Even the most advanced countries don’t have what you might call concrete, specific policies about AI because these things are evolving,” he said.

Haruna, however, said the commission had outlined how it intended to deploy the technology and would soon finalise its policy for public consideration.

“But we have at least some ideas of what we want to do and how we want to use that. We have that policy. Very soon, we will concretise it, and we will be able to share it with the media,” he said.