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Uganda has warned against the misuse of artificial intelligence ahead of general elections scheduled for January 15, saying the technology could be exploited to mislead voters and undermine trust in the democratic process.
The warning came from Aminah Zawedde, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Information, Communication, Technology and National Guidance, who said AI could either strengthen or damage democratic engagement depending on how it is used.
Zawedde said in a statement on Saturday that when used responsibly, AI can expand access to information and strengthen democratic engagement.
She noted that authorities had already observed the use of AI tools to generate misleading content during the election period, including deepfake images and videos of candidates, audio recordings impersonating political leaders and automated accounts spreading false narratives.
“In some instances, manipulated data is being presented as official election results, which undermines confidence in democratic institutions,” Zawedde said.
Zawedde, who also chairs Uganda’s National AI Taskforce, stressed that AI itself was not the problem but warned that its misuse could interfere with voters’ ability to make informed choices. She urged the public to avoid sharing unverified or sensational online content.
She added that although Uganda is still developing a specific legal framework for artificial intelligence, existing laws already apply.
“Election-related misconduct remains unlawful whether committed offline or online, and the misuse of AI to mislead or manipulate carries serious consequences,” she said.
