Ethics, Regulation and Security - Ghana's Cyber Security Experts Warn Against AI Manipulation in the Election Process

The Cyber Security Expert Association of Ghana (CSEAG) is cautioning politicians and political parties on the possible use of advanced technology to manipulate and undermine our democracy.

According to the President of the Cyber Security Expert Association of Ghana, Issaka Abubakar, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other forms of cyber tools to attack individuals or political parties to destabilize the security of the country or threaten the election process.

Emphasizing the advent of artificial intelligence technology can be used to manipulate and undermine our democracy. Despite the advantages of Artificial Intelligence, there are many new challenges, and some of them are very dangerous elections.

Citing the recent incidents of deep fake being used to create false or misleading pictures and video content of politicians, journalists, and media houses in the country, which caused harm to the victims and caused confusion and outrage among the public. These acts do not only affect our national security but also democratic values and principles.

In an interview with Peace FM News, Mr. Abubakar stated that this technology can be used for the creation of deceptive content that often portrays individuals engaged in actions they never actually performed. The abuse of this technology can cast doubt on the authenticity of media content, particularly as we approach this year's election. We need to guild against the use of this technology in our electoral processes to avoid the creation of mistrust between the media and the public, defamation, and the spreading of falsehood.

Mr. Abubakar stressed the need for immediate action to deal with these multifaceted AI threats and safeguard the sanctity of Ghana’s democratic process by constituting an independent committee to verify AI-powered acts that seek to undermine this year’s campaign process.

He appealed to all political parties in Ghana to uphold cyber integrity and adhere to ethical standards in the run-up to the upcoming elections. And media houses and journalists, seek assistance from professionals to verify and authenticate information before releasing it to the public.

Furthermore, urged all political parties in Ghana to refrain from engaging external experts who may have ulterior motives or hidden agendas to influence this year's campaign process leading to elections.

And caution all cyber security experts in Ghana not to allow politicians to use them to carry out any malicious act that can jeopardize the election.