The opportunities and risks that I see for democracy with AI are indeed profound. On the positive side, AI presents many options to enhance the democratic process. It can revolutionise campaign strategies, enabling politicians with limited resources to engage with constituents more effectively. 

AI-powered chatbots, for example, can answer citizens‘ questions and provide personalised recommendations, fostering inclusivity in political engagement. Additionally, AI can improve the dissemination of information, ensuring it reaches the intended audience at the right time and through the appropriate channels.

It also has the potential to streamline election processes, minimising human interference and errors. For instance, it can automate the uploading of election results in real time, contributing to the transparency and credibility of election outcomes, and building public trust and integrity. 

At the last presidential election in Nigeria earlier this year, there were several cases where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials could not upload pictures of the results to the IReV portal. Deploying AI in subsequent elections would solve this. The AI would not just upload the photos; it can scan result sheets and convert the images to text. When the text is authenticated, the AI can upload the result to the server, ensuring that all the results from across the country are accumulated in real-time with less human interference.

Predictive analytics, powered by AI, allows for a deeper understanding of political trends and more informed policy decisions. AI-driven election monitoring systems can detect irregularities and fraud, ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.

Natural Language Processing is another powerful tool in AI. It can analyse political discourse, such as speeches, debates, and news articles, to identify critical issues, topics, and sentiments of political discussions. This empowers policymakers and politicians to tailor their approaches to public opinion.

However, alongside these opportunities, there are significant risks to democracy associated with AI. Misinformed voters and manipulated election processes are increasingly apparent, with AI technology often at the centre of these concerns. Regulating AI to mitigate these risks and uphold democratic values is a pressing challenge.

Again, here in Nigeria, during the last presidential election, political actors and unscrupulous individuals were using AI tools to engineer misinformation and disinformation at a high cost to an already polarised society. You will agree with me that disinformation is a threat to democracy. This is a significant concern for us because, in emerging democracies like ours, resources, knowledge, or organisational constraints may limit the ability to refute or correct false narratives online.

Moreover, in regions with unaccountable institutions and human rights abuses like we have witnessed in some of our next-door neighbours here in Africa, AI can be misused to monitor and track citizens, raising serious concerns about privacy and individual freedoms. AI’s ethical and responsible deployment is crucial to benefit society while safeguarding democratic principles.

AI can transform democracy by enhancing political engagement, transparency, and decision-making. However, it also brings risks that must be carefully managed through robust regulations and ethical considerations to preserve the integrity of democratic processes.