INEC Flags Officials In 10 States Over AI-Generated Photos On Voters’ Register

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

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

Haruna, who chairs the commission’s Information and Voter Education Committee, described the development as a major challenge, noting that INEC had limited control over individuals who digitally manipulate their photographs before uploading them to the register.

He, however, said the commission had identified cases involving its own personnel 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 for the commission to prevent members of the public from altering their photographs before submission, it had greater control over cases involving its staff.

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

He noted that artificial intelligence presented emerging 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 INEC had outlined its plans for deploying the technology and would soon conclude work on the policy for public consideration.