Let leaders act now to counter AI-driven election disruptions

There is no doubt that the 2027 General Election will be Kenya’s next major political event. As such, there are some facts that we should keep in mind to make a proper judgement of our political future.

First, an independent electoral commission is yet to be constituted. In mid-2024, President William Ruto signed into law the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) (Amendment) Bill 2024 and paved the way for the hiring of new IEBC commissioners.

Second, President Ruto is already feeling the pressure from Gen Z. Last year’s anti-government protests, coupled with satirical black-and-white caricatures dubbed ‘Kasongo Productions’ have intensified scrutiny of his administration. The president’s attempts to track down the creators of these productions underscore the growing influence of this younger demographic.

Finally, as we enter 2025, we are in the critical prelude to the 2027 campaign season. Historically, our election campaigns kick off about two years before election year, leaving little time for complacency.

The big question is: how are we prepared for the 2027 elections? Or is it too early to talk of an event that is barely 31 months away? The reality is that Gen Z, with its tech-savvy edge and growing political clout, will play a pivotal role in shaping the outcome of these elections.

In a previous column, I argued that the 2027 elections would be heavily influenced by artificial intelligence. With Gen Z leading a digital revolution, these elections promise to be unlike any before. They seem to better understand the technology more than the old guards in political public relations and strategy. The strategies that worked in the 2022 General Election will not work in 2027. One emerging technological challenge will be the rampant spread of misinformation, malinformation and disinformation through deepfakes.

What are deepfakes? It is digital puppetry where a video is generated using AI in which someone looks and sounds like a target public figure or person of interest. Artificial intelligence is used to swap faces, mimic voices and make someone sound with certainty what they did not say. Deepfakes are potential tools for spreading misinformation and disinformation, especially where it is mainly needed, like in political campaigns.

The current dissatisfaction with the performance of the Kenya Kwanza government is because of its failure to deal with unemployment, an unfavourable business environment, over-taxation and the government’s failure to adjust to the needs of the common mwananchi. there will be demand to use deepfakes to campaign against Ruto and his alliance of politicians.

Note that deepfake AIs are useful tools for creating simulations for educational purposes, language translation, storytelling and creative arts to produce content for advertising, entertainment and other purposes necessary for 21st-century marketplaces.

But as we know, every helpful tool comes with the challenge of being abused. So, when deepfakes are used for creating fake messages and character assassination, they can easily lead to voter suppression by eroding people’s trust in elections and suffrage.

So, how should we prepare? The government must expedite the formation of the IEBC to allow sufficient time for preparations. Voter education will need to be more extensive than ever before.

The IEBC must also recruit IT and communication experts, particularly from Gen Z, to address AI-driven disruptions effectively. Cross-sector collaborations will be essential to raise public awareness about misinformation and teach citizens how to identify and respond to deepfake content.

Deepfakes are already known disruptors in closely contested elections where minor voter perception can result in a significant change of events. If we wait to constitute IEBC a few months before the elections, as we usually do, we will find ourselves facing serious problems.

Dr Ndonye is a senior lecturer at Kabarak University’s Department of Mass Communication

First, an independent electoral commission is yet to be constituted. In mid-2024, President William Ruto signed into law the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) (Amendment) Bill 2024 and paved the way for the hiring of new IEBC commissioners.

Second, President Ruto is already feeling the pressure from Gen Z. Last year’s anti-government protests, coupled with satirical black-and-white caricatures dubbed ‘Kasongo Productions’ have intensified scrutiny of his administration. The president’s attempts to track down the creators of these productions underscore the growing influence of this younger demographic.

Finally, as we enter 2025, we are in the critical prelude to the 2027 campaign season. Historically, our election campaigns kick off about two years before election year, leaving little time for complacency.

The big question is: how are we prepared for the 2027 elections? Or is it too early to talk of an event that is barely 31 months away? The reality is that Gen Z, with its tech-savvy edge and growing political clout, will play a pivotal role in shaping the outcome of these elections.

In a previous column, I argued that the 2027 elections would be heavily influenced by artificial intelligence. With Gen Z leading a digital revolution, these elections promise to be unlike any before. They seem to better understand the technology more than the old guards in political public relations and strategy. The strategies that worked in the 2022 General Election will not work in 2027. One emerging technological challenge will be the rampant spread of misinformation, malinformation and disinformation through deepfakes.

What are deepfakes? It is digital puppetry where a video is generated using AI in which someone looks and sounds like a target public figure or person of interest. Artificial intelligence is used to swap faces, mimic voices and make someone sound with certainty what they did not say. Deepfakes are potential tools for spreading misinformation and disinformation, especially where it is mainly needed, like in political campaigns.

The current dissatisfaction with the performance of the Kenya Kwanza government is because of its failure to deal with unemployment, an unfavourable business environment, over-taxation and the government’s failure to adjust to the needs of the common mwananchi. there will be demand to use deepfakes to campaign against Ruto and his alliance of politicians.

Note that deepfake AIs are useful tools for creating simulations for educational purposes, language translation, storytelling and creative arts to produce content for advertising, entertainment and other purposes necessary for 21st-century marketplaces.

But as we know, every helpful tool comes with the challenge of being abused. So, when deepfakes are used for creating fake messages and character assassination, they can easily lead to voter suppression by eroding people’s trust in elections and suffrage.

So, how should we prepare? The government must expedite the formation of the IEBC to allow sufficient time for preparations. Voter education will need to be more extensive than ever before.

The IEBC must also recruit IT and communication experts, particularly from Gen Z, to address AI-driven disruptions effectively. Cross-sector collaborations will be essential to raise public awareness about misinformation and teach citizens how to identify and respond to deepfake content.

Deepfakes are already known disruptors in closely contested elections where minor voter perception can result in a significant change of events. If we wait to constitute IEBC a few months before the elections, as we usually do, we will find ourselves facing serious problems.

Dr Ndonye is a senior lecturer at Kabarak University’s Department of Mass Communication