By Benjamin Adamafio Commey
Accra, Sept. 21, GNA – Ghana’s fight against disinformation requires a language-centred approach that integrates local languages into information verification, fact-checking and artificial intelligence (AI) tools, a new study has recommended.
The study, conducted by Penplusbytes, examined how local languages influence the spread and mitigation of disinformation, as well as media consumption, trust, source credibility, verification behaviour and the use of AI-enabled tools.
Its findings were presented at a workshop in Accra to validate the research and gather feedback from stakeholders working in media, technology, academia and civil society.
The nationwide survey covered 469 respondents using a 68-question questionnaire administered face-to-face across the country.
Mr Kwami Ahiagbene, Lead Researcher, who presented the findings, said the research showed a significant disconnect between the languages Ghanaians used to consume information and the languages in which most verification and fact-checking tools operated.
“The technologies or the tools are important, but we have to place emphasis on language first, in terms of how we mitigate disinformation,” he said.
The study found that 91 per cent of respondents communicated in local languages daily, while 71 per cent indicated that information presented in local languages appeared more credible to them.
It also found that more than 55 per cent of respondents had shared false or misleading content, while many users remained reluctant or unable to verify information even when they suspected it could be false.
It attributed the verification gap partly to limited access to reliable information and the absence of appropriate verification mechanisms in local languages.
The study said the challenge was not simply digital illiteracy, but a structural mismatch between linguistic identity, information consumption and trust on one hand, and available verification and fact-checking systems on the other.
On AI, the study found that 67 per cent of respondents either did not know or were uncertain about how AI could assist in detecting misinformation and disinformation.
Although about 70 per cent considered AI-based detection tools useful, only 22.2 per cent reported using AI for fact-checking.
Meanwhile, 57 per cent said they could identify AI-generated content.
The study also identified health, religion and politics as prominent areas associated with disinformation narratives and noted the growing importance of TikTok as a source of information.
Mr Ahiagbene, who is also the Founder of Penplusbyte, said the increasing consumption of short-form content presented additional challenges because such formats could lack the context necessary for audiences to assess claims accurately.
The study, therefore, recommended investment in local-language AI models, speech-to-text systems and community-designed verification mechanisms.
It also called for increased AI literacy, particularly on practical applications of AI in verification, fact-checking and digital safety.
Additionally, the report urged media organisations and fact-checking bodies to expand local-language programming and verification, while encouraging technology companies to improve access to platform data and support responsible AI development.
Mr Ahiagbene stressed that AI should complement, rather than replace, human judgement in the verification process.
“Yes, we use AI. But the AI should not be the final decision,” he said.
The study recommended sustained collaboration among researchers, policymakers, media organisations, technology companies, civil society groups and communities to develop locally relevant responses to Ghana’s evolving disinformation landscape.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Benjamin Adamafio Commey