By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Sierra Leone has launched a
nationwide campaign to help citizens identify and respond to AI-generated
deepfakes and other forms of deceptive digital content, with the government
urging the public to verify information before sharing it.
The National AI and Deepfake
Awareness Campaign was launched at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown as
part of a two-phase programme covering all 16 districts. The initiative is led
by the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) in partnership
with the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation and the Ministry
of Information and Civic Education, with support from the World Bank through
the Sierra Leone Digital Transformation Project (SLDTP).
The first phase has already
taken the campaign into communities through regional workshops, radio and
television programmes, particularly targeting people with limited or no
internet access.
The second phase will
provide citizens with practical tools to verify digital content themselves.
These will include a WhatsApp verification service, a low-bandwidth companion
application and mechanisms for reporting harmful content to the appropriate authorities.
Speaking on behalf of the
Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Salima Monorma Bah,
the Ministry’s Chief Director, Mohamed Mumini Jalloh, said artificial
intelligence could improve healthcare and public services, support small businesses
and expand access to services in local languages.
He cautioned, however, that
fake voice messages requesting mobile money and manipulated videos involving
public figures are already circulating, creating challenges for journalists
verifying information and exposing citizens to fraud.
Jalloh said the campaign was
not intended to restrict free speech but to protect trust in information and
help citizens critically assess what they encounter online. He added that the
government would work with the police, telecommunications companies, social
media platforms and the media, while ensuring that women, young people, persons
with disabilities and rural communities are included.
“Artificial intelligence is
neither to be feared nor embraced without caution. It is powerful, and the
responsibility for making sure everyone benefits from it safely belongs to all
of us,” Jalloh said.
Kumba Liliana Musa,
Coordinator of the SLDTP, said the central message of the campaign was simple:
“The most important part of this campaign is one thing, verify first before you
share.”
In his keynote address,
Minister of Information and Civic Education, Hon. Chernor Bah, also drew
attention to the importance of protecting personal data. He urged citizens to
carefully consider the permissions they grant to applications, particularly when
it comes to access to their location.
A high-level panel moderated
by Sierra Leone Association of Journalists President Alhaji Manika Kamara also
examined the changing nature of misinformation. Panellists agreed that
misinformation is not new, but the rapid development of AI has made false content
faster to produce and increasingly difficult to detect.
The government said the
campaign is intended to strengthen public awareness and digital resilience as
AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday communication and public life,
reinforcing the message that citizens must become more critical and informed
about the content they see and hear online.
