Source: TheCable

TheCable, a Nigerian online newspaper, publishes an opinion piece highlighting Nigeria's significant vulnerability to a new generation of scams powered by Artificial Intelligence. The author warns that the country's existing legal and regulatory frameworks are ill-equipped to handle the rise of sophisticated frauds utilizing AI technologies like deepfakes and voice cloning. These tools make it easier for criminals to create convincing fake videos, audio messages, and documents to deceive individuals and corporations, leading to financial loss and reputational damage.

The article argues that there is a critical "blind spot" in Nigeria's approach to technology governance, with insufficient attention being paid to the malicious use of AI. It calls upon the government, regulatory agencies like the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and law enforcement to urgently develop a comprehensive strategy to combat these threats. This strategy should include public awareness campaigns to educate citizens about AI-powered scams, investment in technological tools to detect synthetic media, and the creation of new laws or the amendment of existing ones to specifically criminalize the misuse of AI for fraudulent purposes. The author stresses that failure to act swiftly will leave Nigerians increasingly exposed to these advanced and hard-to-detect forms of cybercrime.