What happened

A network of 171 bots on X (formerly Twitter) are using ChatGPT to write posts supporting the New Patriotic Party, the incumbent political party in Ghana, and the country's sitting president Mahamudu Bawumia. 

The also disparage John Mahama, the presidential candidate from the rival left-wing party National Democratic Congress, according to Rest of World, drawing on Newsguard research.

Active since February 2024, the accounts appear to have AI-generated profile photos and have names such as “Glenn Washington,” “Netflix Series&Movies,” and “Patriot”.

The bot accounts have uniformly been using the hashtags #Bawumia2024, #NPP, and the NPP slogan #ItIsPossible and tend to post at “regular” and “predictable” intervals, often ten or more times per day.

Why it happened

The use of AI and chatbots in political campaigns has become increasingly prevalent as technology enables easier creation of realistic-sounding misinformation. 

The Ghanaian political landscape is particularly susceptible to such tactics, as trust in traditional media and political figures is low, allowing AI-generated content to gain traction among voters. 

Additionally, the rapid advancement of generative AI tools has made it easier for malicious actors with limited technical skills to create convincing disinformation campaigns.