Tinubu’s cloned voice and Pate’s sanitiser duty

When President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, he could not have anticipated that artificial intelligence would soon make him the face and voice of motivational content for young Nigerian men. However, on Monday afternoon, my news feed overflowed with videos praising the President, complete with a voice that eerily resembled his own.

The clips featured deep quotes emphasizing the importance of building wealth and overcoming poverty. One statement urged young men to "cook concoction rice and drink garri with salt" as a means to achieve success, while another warned that "poverty is suffocating every dream you have." Additionally, some videos even suggested cheating to reach the top, a notion that most commenters quickly dismissed as false.

The real issue at hand is the threat of deepfakes, which can distort public perception of leaders and even influence critical events like elections. Currently, Nigeria lacks a law specifically addressing deepfakes, making it difficult to regulate their use. While it is acceptable to acknowledge when content is AI-generated, especially in satire, it becomes fraudulent when a cloned voice or video is presented as genuine.

Policymakers must strike a balance between encouraging creativity and preventing deception, ensuring that individuals involved in such activities are held accountable.