African states must strengthen safeguards against AI-driven electoral manipulation – Kwasi Prempeh

African leaders must bolster protections against AI-powered electoral manipulation, according to Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, Executive Director of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development. At the Third Electoral Integrity Summit in Accra, Prempeh emphasized that while technology has increased transparency in elections across the continent, it is also being exploited to erode public trust and manipulate electoral narratives.

"The question is not whether we embrace these technologies, but under what safeguards and who is accountable when they cause harm," he stated. The summit, organized by the African Election Observers Network (AfEONet) and CDD-Ghana, brought together experts to discuss threats to election credibility and explore solutions. Prempeh highlighted the growing financial barriers to political participation and the need for greater political finance transparency.

He also warned that restrictions on journalists, observers, and civil society could prevent abuses from being exposed, linking electoral financing and technology to the protection of civic space. For the summit, titled "Money, Technology and Civic Rights: Defending Electoral Integrity in Africa," Prempeh advocated for stronger political finance regulation, safeguards for AI integrity, and better protection for media practitioners and citizen observers.

He stressed that defending electoral integrity required a unified African approach, calling for cooperation among states, civil society, and democratic institutions.