During a webinar hosted by the PUNCH Media Foundation on Wednesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that it had removed artificial‑intelligence (AI)‑generated photographs from the national voters’ register and had flagged officials involved in the uploads across ten states for disciplinary action.
INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna, who also chairs the commission’s Information and Voter Education Committee, explained that the removal of the AI‑generated images was a “major challenge” for the body. He said the commission had already taken down the offending photographs and was working to prevent further manipulation of voter photos.
Haruna noted that while it is difficult for INEC to stop members of the public from altering their own photographs before submission, the commission has greater control over violations committed by its own staff. “The ones involving our own staff are within our control and we are in the process of addressing them,” he said.
INEC has identified the names of the officials involved in the breach across about ten states and will pursue disciplinary measures against them. “We have their names across about ten states, and obviously, they are going to face disciplinary action,” Haruna added.
AI policy in development
In a separate statement, Haruna said INEC has drafted an AI policy and is finalising it ahead of the 2027 general elections. He acknowledged the rapid evolution of AI technology and the difficulty it poses for governments worldwide in creating comprehensive regulatory frameworks. “Even the most advanced countries don’t yet have concrete, specific policies about AI because these things are evolving,” he said.
Haruna assured that the commission has ideas on how to deploy and regulate AI and that the policy will soon be finalised and made available to the media. “We have that policy. Very soon, we will concretise it, and we will be able to share it with the media,” he said.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
