SOCIAL MEDIA AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: PERSPECTIVES ON DEEPFAKES’ USE IN NIGERIA’S 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS
Abstract:This study sets out to identify the forms and reasons behind deepfakes’ use and the effects during
Nigeria’s 2023 general elections. The survey design was adopted using the quantitative research method
for data collection and analysis. A total of 1500 copies of the “Perspectives on Use of Deepfakes”
questionnaire was distributed to a research population drawn from five states of the South-South
region of Nigeria namely Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta and Bayelsa. A set of 300 copies was
distributed to each of the states with the help of research assistants from each location apart from
Cross River. At the end of the field distribution, 1123 copies of the questionnaire were returned from
all the states. The research population were Nigerians of voting age, 18 years and above, irrespective
of age, educational qualification and occupational status. The research respondents were randomly
selected to fill in the questionnaire. After quantitative analysis using statistical tables with
simple percentages, findings revealed that the use of artificial intelligence in the form of deepfakes was
dominant on social media especially in picture and voice forms and that deepfakes were used
as a mudslinging tool to dent the image of some Nigerian politicians and as propaganda tools to
present some personalities as misfits in Nigeria’s leadership positions. The paper concluded that Artificial
Intelligence in the form of deepfakes was used predominantly for negative motives and recommended
enactment of laws to regulate the use of deepfakes in Nigeria’s political space especially during
elections.