Session
Organizer 1: Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 1: Adinamba Celine, Government, African Group
Speaker 2: Timcke Scott, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 3: Guy Berger, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 4: Ololade Shyllon, Private Sector, African Group
Speaker 5: Michel Kenmoe, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 6: 'Gbenga Sesan, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 2: Timcke Scott, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 3: Guy Berger, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 4: Ololade Shyllon, Private Sector, African Group
Speaker 5: Michel Kenmoe, Intergovernmental Organization, Intergovernmental Organization
Speaker 6: 'Gbenga Sesan, Civil Society, African Group
Format
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: A round table is best suited to provide an equal level discussions amongst stakeholders. The session aims to learn from the audience as much as we will be disseminating research.
Duration (minutes): 60
Format description: A round table is best suited to provide an equal level discussions amongst stakeholders. The session aims to learn from the audience as much as we will be disseminating research.
Policy Question(s)
1. How can context-specific approaches to information integrity in West Africa be developed to address AI-driven misinformation, disinformation, and electoral manipulation while considering local political, social, and technological realities?
2. What best practices and governance models can ensure AI enhances electoral transparency, strengthens information integrity, and mitigates the risks of manipulation in digital election ecosystems?
3. How can multistakeholder collaborations—including governments, civil society, and technology providers—foster research, knowledge-sharing, and policy innovation to build digital resilience and trust in AI-driven election processes?
What will participants gain from attending this session? This session will be a two-way learning platform for knowledge exchange on AI and election integrity in West Africa. Participants will gain insights from RIA-UNESCO research on AI’s impact on information integrity, including challenges like misinformation, deepfakes, and algorithmic bias.
With the intention of developing actionable recommenadations and stakeholder collaboration, the discussion will also highlight best practices in AI-driven election monitoring, fact-checking, and disinformation mitigation while exploring regulatory and policy strategies to address emerging risks.
Description:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping elections in West Africa, influencing transparency, electoral integrity, and information ecosystems. While AI-driven tools improve voter registration, election monitoring, and fraud detection, they also introduce new vulnerabilities, including algorithmic bias, deepfakes, and AI-generated misinformation that threaten democratic stability. This session will critically examine how AI impacts information integrity in electoral processes across the region. As AI technologies continue to evolve, African proponents of democracy, those advocating for universal enfranchisement, political participation, and human rights must work to ensure that AI serves their political and social needs, rather than exacerbating external exploitation. However, this challenge is complicated by the rapidly changing technological landscape, in which AI systems can either amplify political engagement or distort democratic processes through misinformation and manipulation. The current lack of coordinated regulation at the global level only exacerbates these risks, with AI being deployed in ways that threaten privacy, security, and election integrity. This session will explore AI’s role in combating election-related disinformation while also addressing its misuse in amplifying false narratives and undermining public trust by various actors. Experts from government, civil society, academia, and the private sector will present case studies on AI-powered election monitoring, fact-checking, and regulatory frameworks designed to protect information integrity. The session will also highlight the challenges of algorithmic opacity, data privacy, and external technological influences on West African elections. The proposed session aligns with the Digital Trust and Resilience subtheme, emphasising AI governance, regulatory cooperation, and best practices to strengthen information integrity and digital resilience in West African elections.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping elections in West Africa, influencing transparency, electoral integrity, and information ecosystems. While AI-driven tools improve voter registration, election monitoring, and fraud detection, they also introduce new vulnerabilities, including algorithmic bias, deepfakes, and AI-generated misinformation that threaten democratic stability. This session will critically examine how AI impacts information integrity in electoral processes across the region. As AI technologies continue to evolve, African proponents of democracy, those advocating for universal enfranchisement, political participation, and human rights must work to ensure that AI serves their political and social needs, rather than exacerbating external exploitation. However, this challenge is complicated by the rapidly changing technological landscape, in which AI systems can either amplify political engagement or distort democratic processes through misinformation and manipulation. The current lack of coordinated regulation at the global level only exacerbates these risks, with AI being deployed in ways that threaten privacy, security, and election integrity. This session will explore AI’s role in combating election-related disinformation while also addressing its misuse in amplifying false narratives and undermining public trust by various actors. Experts from government, civil society, academia, and the private sector will present case studies on AI-powered election monitoring, fact-checking, and regulatory frameworks designed to protect information integrity. The session will also highlight the challenges of algorithmic opacity, data privacy, and external technological influences on West African elections. The proposed session aligns with the Digital Trust and Resilience subtheme, emphasising AI governance, regulatory cooperation, and best practices to strengthen information integrity and digital resilience in West African elections.
Expected Outcomes
This session will contribute to ongoing research by Research ICT Africa (RIA) in partnership with UNESCO on information integrity in West Africa, providing critical insights to inform policy discussions and governance strategies. A key outcome will be the generation of policy insights and recommendations for governments, electoral bodies, and civil society on developing context-specific regulatory frameworks. Additionally, the session will aim to promote multistakeholder partnerships and cooperation l for developing ethical AI governance strategies and addressing information integrity challenges in the the West African context.
Specific Outputs:
A. A policy brief or a report summarizing key discussions, challenges, and recommendations to inform policymakers and stakeholders.
B. Contribution to RIA’s ongoing research on AI, information integrity, and electoral governance in the region.
C. Engagement in follow-up policy dialogues to explore regional regulatory approaches and best practices for ensuring digital trust and resilience in elections.
Hybrid Format: Research ICT Africa will engage its dedicated communications team to moderate the panel online, ensuring that online participants can have the most possible experience like the on site participants. We will be active to questions and interactions online to integrate both offline and online discussions. The session will also be advertised and shared among our partners who will be running IGF remote hubs especially in West Africa.