Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga has warned that artificial intelligence could erode public confidence in elections unless political actors, media organizations and technology platforms adopt stronger ethical safeguards.
Onanuga, said AI-generated images and videos were increasingly being used to advance political interests, spread falsehoods and shape public opinion on platforms including X, Facebook and TikTok.
Onanuga made the remarks Thursday at the seventh World Media Summit in Beijing, where he presented a paper titled “AI and the Future of Global Communication.”
Ahead of the general elections in 2027, Onanuga said the country is already “in the thick of the political season.”
He cautioned that while some politicians and supporters use AI for satire, entertainment or campaign messaging, others deploy it to mislead voters – risks that could undermine trust in democratic institutions if left unchecked.
Onanuga called for clear international guardrails to govern the development and deployment of AI, arguing that humanity must act before it loses control of a technology that is evolving rapidly.
He said stakeholders involved in creating and distributing digital content bear greater responsibility as AI becomes more influential in political communication.
The comments by the presidential aide come as media leaders from 112 countries gathered in Beijing for the summit, organized by Xinhua News Agency and the Beijing municipal government under the theme “Media in the Intelligent Age: From Consensus to Action.”
Organizers and participants described AI as both an opportunity for newsrooms – through faster production, translation and verification, and a growing source of misinformation, algorithmic bias and questions over content authenticity.
MewsQuest reports that the warning adds to a broader push in Nigeria for election-related AI safeguards.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has established an AI unit to monitor digital threats and detect deepfakes, while civic and media figures have urged newsrooms to create verification desks, adopt written AI policies and expand fact-checking partnerships before campaigns intensify.
Onanuga’s central challenge is preserving the integrity of political debate in an environment where convincing synthetic media can be produced and distributed at low cost.
“AI, for good and bad, has become a powerful tool for electoral contests for politicians and their supporters,” he said.
