Information Minister Launches National AI, Deepfake Sensitization Campaign

By Salamatu Conteh

Sierra Leone yesterday officially launched its National AI and Deepfake Sensitization Campaign at a high-level stakeholder engagement themed “AI, Misinformation and Sierra Leone’s Information Future.”

The event was organized in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MOICE), the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation (MOCTI), and the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI).

Delivering the keynote address, Minister Bah opened by thanking MOCTI and DSTI for organizing the event and for bringing together a wide range of guests and stakeholders.

Setting the tone for his address, the Minister referenced a stark warning from Evan Hubinger, an AI safety researcher at Anthropic, who has estimated there is a greater than 10 percent chance that artificial intelligence could pose an existential risk to humanity within the next decade. Framing this as the central challenge of the moment, Minister Bah posed the question to attendees: what can we, as humans, do to eliminate this risk?

Despite the warning, the Minister struck an optimistic note, arguing that since AI is already here, the country has no choice but to embrace it and harness its advantages. He pointed to AI’s immense potential, including the possibility that it could help cure illnesses.

He went on to outline three areas of responsibility — for government, the media, and citizens — in managing AI’s risks while capturing its benefits.

Minister Bah described handling the catastrophic risks of AI as a shared civic responsibility requiring a national civic engagement effort. He noted that citizens must now be prepared for a new reality in which they may be recorded by fellow citizens at any time.

On the government’s part, he said officials are working to build tools such as info.gov.sl, envisioned as a one-stop shop for verifying government information. The platform would allow the public to verify official content using a unique QR code system.

The Minister also confirmed that government is developing a clear national AI policy. While acknowledging that “everyone is using ChatGPT,” he stressed that the real challenge lies in civic consciousness , teaching people how to use AI tools ethically and responsibly. To that end, he called for AI to be incorporated into the national education curriculum.

He thanked President Bio for establishing the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation (MoCTI), and summed up government’s core obligation in one line:

“Government should provide the infrastructure credibility of trust.”

Turning to the media, Minister Bah said news institutions must establish fact-checking mechanisms and take responsibility for the information they publish, verifying sources before sharing content. He stressed that in the current era, every media institution should have a formal fact-checking process in place before disseminating information.

He also extended this responsibility to bloggers, describing them as part of the broader media ecosystem. He said he has consistently encouraged the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) to bring bloggers into the fold as recognized media actors.

For ordinary citizens, the Minister’s message was simple and direct: check, verify, and double-check before you share.

Wrapping up his address, Minister Bah reaffirmed that Sierra Leone would embrace the immense potential of AI while remaining clear-eyed about its risks. He assured stakeholders that government is ready to put the necessary measures in place to manage AI responsibly as the country moves into its digital information future.