The Director General of Cyber Security Authority (CSA), Dr. Antwi Boasiako, says they are anticipating the rise in Artificial intelligence (AI) generated misinformation and disinformation in the upcoming general election and are engaging social media platforms including Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) to rollout mechanisms to detect and prevent them from going viral.
Dr. Antwi-Boasiako said this in Accra on Wednesday during a three-day West African Symposium on Sector Collaboration and Information Sharing among Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs).
The event, held in collaboration with the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy (CDP) and Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University, aimed to foster idea exchange and enhance capabilities for a secure and resilient cyber ecosystem across Africa and globally.
“We anticipate a lot more of disinformation and misinformation. Criminals innovate in their process, and so we will likely see AI-powered disinformation and misinformation campaigns that make it a little bit difficult for us, but we’re working with tech providers on the platform. They also have mechanisms to detect them, so we are engaging Facebook, Twitter, which is x and others, to ensure that as we get close to elections, we will be able to detect and prevent some of these issues,” Dr Antwi-Boasiako stated.
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However, he urged Ghanaians to actively engage in awareness campaigns designed to enhance their capacity and prevent them from becoming victims of electoral misinformation and disinformation.
“But I think the major recommendation is that the public should be aware that not everything transmitted across the network is legitimate, original, or genuine. So, we don’t need to consider it,” he said.
Dr. Anti-Boasiako also admonished the media to play a role in awareness creation since they are major stakeholders in fighting information disorder.
He highlighted the low level of cybersecurity awareness, attributing it to the proliferation of cyber fraud.
He emphasized the importance of raising awareness on cybersecurity as the most effective means to combat fraud and other online criminal activities.
Last year alone, over GH¢60 million was lost to cyber fraud. Given the rise of cyber threats, he emphasized the urgency for both state and non-state actors to invest in the necessary skills, knowledge, and infrastructure to protect digital assets.