Sierra Leone has launched the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Deepfake Awareness Campaign, a government effort to tackle the dangers citizens face from the rapid rise of emerging technologies.
The campaign, launched in Freetown on Wednesday, is a two-phase plan covering all 16 districts of the West African country.
It is being led by the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation , in partnership with the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation and the Ministry of Information and Civic Education, with support from the World Bank Group through the Sierra Leone digital Transformation Project.
The first phase will reach communities through regional workshops and radio and television programmes, targeting people with little or no internet access.
The second phase aims to equip citizens with tools to check content for themselves, including a WhatsApp verification service, a low-bandwidth companion app, and clear routes for reporting harmful content to the authorities.
Mohamed Mumini Jalloh, chief director of the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation, said that while AI could improve health and public services, support small businesses and help people use services in local languages, fake voice messages requesting mobile money and doctored videos of public figures were already circulating, leaving citizens exposed to fraud.
"AI 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.
He added that the government would work with the police, telecoms companies, social media platforms and the media to ensure women, young people, persons with disabilities and rural communities were not left behind in the abuse of AI.
Chernor Bah, minister of information and civic education, delivered the keynote address, advising citizens to be careful the permissions they give to mobile apps, particularly access to their location.
"We need to increase people's understanding of who to click and who to select," he said.
The campaign follows growing recognition of the risks of cybercrime as more citizens come online through Sierra Leone's digital transformation drive.
The government enacted the Cyber Security and Crime Act in 2021, but experts believe the country still lacks a comprehensive data protection regime to fully regulate digital safety.
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