How AI is fuelling new wave of misinformation ahead of Kenya's 2027 polls

Artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic has revealed how its Claude chatbot was used to mass-produce fake social media posts praising Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi and attack Kenya’s opposition.

The AI safety and research firm said a Claude user generated Kenyan political content designed to appear as organic public sentiment, including batches of fake posts on the social media platform X.

The content praised Mr Wandayi for allegedly stopping a scheduled electricity tariff increase.

The operation also pushed claims that the United Opposition coalition was breaking apart ahead of the 2027 elections, targeting politicians including former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua and former president Uhuru Kenyatta.

It reveals how AI is emerging as a new tool for political influence in Kenya ahead of the 2027 General Election, as political operators use the technology to manufacture apparent public support for politicians.