INEC to involve Artificial Intelligence in Nigeria future elections
From David Onuoja, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said, it has considered the increasing relevance of Artificial Intelligence (AI), to future elections and electoral activities in Nigeria.
It said, the use of positive AI will argument elections and stop the spread of fake news or manipulate content online. This, it added that, when well utilised will be beneficial for data-driven, decision-making, risk detection and mitigation, deepening voter services automation and geo-spatial intelligence in support of logistic optimisation for better material distribution and polling unit allocation.
For this reason, the Commission has approved the creation of an Artificial Intelligence Division under the ICT Department to continue to harness the positive aspects of AI and mitigate its negative impact on elections in Nigeria.
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According to the press release se by the National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, on Thursday, said, “the Division will enable the Commission to better coordinate and maximise existing technology investments through centralised AI governance.
“It will also enhance decision-making through data-driven insights, risk management and voter engagement. Furthermore, it will strengthen electoral credibility through predictive analytics, automation and intelligent safeguards.
“This initiative puts the Commission in the forefront of institutionalising AI capabilities within our ICT infrastructure. It is also an important step in our ongoing reform of the electoral process in areas that only require administrative action by the Commission”, the statement said.
Recently, the Commission attended several conferences with colleagues around the continent on the impact of AI on elections. These interactions were not only motivated but brought about this additional technology for use in future elections in Nigeria.
