Ethiopia’s Information Crisis Is Evolving, and AI Is Now at the Center

Ethiopia’s information landscape has changed dramatically. Disinformation that once centered almost entirely on politics and conflict has spread into every part of daily life: culture, religion, education, and the economy. False information now travels faster, looks more authentic, and causes deeper harm than ever before. Generative AI has become the primary tool making this possible.

These are the key findings of the “Voice Up! Information for Peace (VIP) Project”, implemented by Concept Hub Ethiopia (powered by Tikvah Ethiopia) in partnership with Internews and funded by the European Union. 

Between August 16 and November 20, 2025, the project combined monthly digital-threat monitoring, field reports from trained community radio journalists and university students, and a nationwide public poll of more than 10,000 respondents.

The evidence is clear: generative AI is no longer just a future risk; it is the main engine of information disorder in Ethiopia today.

How Generative AI Is Making Harm More Convincing

A few words typed into a free online tool can now produce realistic images, short videos, or convincing documents in seconds. In the Ethiopian context, this technology is being used in three particularly damaging ways:

Political and geopolitical manipulation: 

A simple written claim can instantly become “proof.” For example, false statements about military movements are turned into photorealistic images of ships or tanks that never existed, spreading panic and nationalist anger far faster than text alone ever could.

Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV)

Malicious actors use AI to create fake but highly convincing images or videos of women in compromising situations. When these synthetic visuals are shared widely, they destroy reputations and silence female voices before anyone has time to verify the truth.

Financial and social deception

University students are especially vulnerable. They regularly encounter polished AI-generated job offers, scholarship announcements, and investment schemes that look completely official, leading many to lose money or personal data.

In the VIP Project’s three-month public poll (over 10,000 respondents), 39 % said AI-generated content is now the most common form of false or misleading information they see, more than ordinary text-based lies.

Community radio journalists ranked synthetic images and videos as the second most common type of falsehood they deal with (after political content). University students reported the highest exposure overall, particularly to deepfakes and sophisticated scams.

From Alarm to Action

Concept Hub Ethiopia convened a high-level Reflections Session titled “Building Digital Resilience in the Age of AI-Driven Misinformation.” 

 

Journalists, academics, civil society leaders, fact-checkers, and representatives from different stakeholders all agreed on four urgent realities:

1. There is a critical shortage of local experts who can teach AI literacy and detect synthetic manipulation at scale.  

2. Coordinated action across sectors is no longer optional; misinformation ignores borders and institutions.  

3. AI itself must be part of the solution: for fact-checking, early-warning systems, and education in local languages.  

4. Traditional media literacy is no longer enough. Targeted AI literacy has become a basic survival skill.

Sustainability Steps Already Under Way

Recognizing that short-term training alone cannot meet this long-term challenge, Concept Hub Ethiopia has designed and is currently developing two permanent digital infrastructures under the VIP Project:

- A national Learning Management System (LMS) that will host reusable, continuously updated modules on AI literacy, verification techniques, and digital safety, ensuring knowledge remains accessible to journalists, students, and the wider public long after the project ends.  

- A Digital Library providing free, open-source access to verified reports, fact-checking resources, policy briefs, and educational materials.

These two initiatives transform temporary project activities into lasting national assets.

The Path Forward

Ethiopia needs five priorities in the coming years:

1. Nationwide, sustained AI-literacy programs in schools, universities, and communities.  

2. Clear rules requiring disclosure of AI-generated or altered content, with strong protections against gender-based harm.  

3. A cross-sector National Digital Resilience Strategy.  

4. Specialized training for law enforcement and judges on synthetic evidence.  

5. Investment in local-language AI tools that support truth rather than deception.

Generative AI has made it cheaper and easier than ever to manufacture convincing falsehoods that exploit Ethiopia’s deepest social and cultural sensitivities. But the same technology combined with committed institutions like Concept Hub Ethiopia can also become our strongest defense.

With urgent, coordinated action centered on education, ethics, and sustainable digital infrastructure, Ethiopia can turn today’s information crisis into tomorrow’s digital strength.

The time to act is now.