Public Awareness of the Implications of AI in the Proliferation of Disinformation on Public Safety and Nigeria’s National Security

Segun A. Adeboyega, Adekeye E. Toba & Alade M. Omowonuola

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Abstract

The study examined public awareness of the effects of AI-proliferated misinformation on national security and public safety in Nigeria. Agenda Setting Theory served as the study’s foundation. Both primary and secondary sources provided data. Questionnaires were used to survey samples of 385 respondents who live in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of the study demonstrated that the emergence and domination of information and communication technology, especially social media, in the information environment of the twenty-first century have increased the spread of misinformation. The spread of misinformation by AI affects both national security and public safety. In particular, the speed with which AI-enabled cyber-tools could be used, as well as the possibility for a single algorithm to propagate false information, is now being used to spread misinformation. AI-driven disinformation spreads fear throughout society. Social media misinformation has the potential to influence societal ethnicity and religion. It enables criminals to access public information for heinous activities. To combat insecurity in Nigeria, the government should be practical and use AI specialists on all fronts.

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