2027 Elections, Experts Outline Ways to Detect AI-Manipulated Content

Journalists and media stakeholders have outlined measures for identifying artificial intelligence-manipulated content ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, urging newsrooms to strengthen verification procedures and establish clear policies on the use of AI.

The recommendations were made on Wednesday during a webinar organised by the PUNCH Media Foundation, themed AI, Misinformation and Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Safeguarding the Truth, Protecting the Vote.

Founder of FactsMatterNG, Hannah Ajakaiye, said journalists should pay particular attention to the timing, origin and quality of suspicious information, especially audio recordings, videos and photographs circulated close to election dates.

She warned that manipulated content could be deliberately released shortly before elections to influence public opinion, create panic or mislead voters.

Ajakaiye advised journalists against relying on materials forwarded through WhatsApp or other social media platforms without tracing them to their original sources.

She also urged media organisations to contact relevant institutions, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to authenticate claims before publication.

According to her, journalists should be cautious of messages designed to create urgency, particularly those encouraging recipients to share information immediately or before it is supposedly deleted.

She further recommended checking whether credible media organisations or official institutions had already investigated or debunked suspicious claims.

On identifying manipulated audio, Ajakaiye said unusual pauses, muffled tones and inconsistent sound tracks could indicate that different recordings had been combined.

Similarly, Director of Projects at the Cable Newspaper Journalism Foundation, Mayowa Tijani, warned that Nigeria could experience more sophisticated information manipulation during the 2027 elections than in previous electoral cycles.

He attributed the growing threat to the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, which has made the production of fabricated images, videos and audio recordings more accessible.

Tijani called on Nigerian media organisations to develop and publicly disclose clear policies explaining how they use AI in news production.

He said the absence of such guidelines could result in inconsistent newsroom practices, with journalists and editors holding different views on the acceptable use of the technology.

He stressed that while AI could assist with writing, transcription and other production tasks, editorial judgement and responsibility for published reports must remain with human journalists and editors.

Tijani added that transparent disclosure would help audiences understand how AI was being deployed and prevent media organisations from inadvertently becoming sources of misinformation.

The experts said stronger verification practices, public awareness and responsible use of technology would be essential to protecting the credibility of election-related information ahead of the 2027 polls.