As misinformation, cybercrime, health emergencies, civil unrest, extreme weather and infrastructure disruption become progressively interconnected across Africa, organisations are under growing pressure to distinguish fact from fiction before uncertainty escalates into operational disruption.
New findings from International SOS’s Risk Outlook 2026 Pulse Check reveal that nearly 60% of organisations believe artificial intelligence (AI) has its greatest value in verifying and validating information across multiple sources. And the need is urgent: 43% of organisations say they have either been affected by, or lack sufficient visibility to determine the impact of, false, misleading or unverified health, wellbeing or security information – while 21% have already experienced a misinformation-related incident.
For organisations operating across Africa’s diverse and rapidly changing risk landscape, the challenge extends far beyond monitoring news headlines.
Security and crisis management teams are often required to assess information simultaneously from government advisories, local media, social media, community networks, private security providers, and employees on the ground. While AI can significantly improve the speed at which information is gathered and analysed, International SOS warns that technology alone cannot replace local expertise, contextual insight, and human decision-making.
“The potential is real, but so too is the risk of overestimating the maturity of current tools,” says Maria Ghigliotti, lead security analyst, West & Central Africa at International SOS. “While AI can help surface, synthesise and prioritise information at speed, verification is a high-stakes task where careful human judgement is fundamental – particularly when decisions can impact people’s health, safety and security. Misplaced reliance on AI at this stage can increase misinformation risks and delay critical decisions rather than improve them.
“The most sensible approach is a human-led model of integrating AI into risk management,” she adds.
The speed at which misinformation is able to spread is already reshaping organisational risk. The report references a false “coup d’état in Congo” story that was shared thousands of times online, showing how quickly unverified information can create confusion and operational uncertainty.
Across Africa, AI-enabled impersonation, deepfakes, and digitally manipulated content are growing more sophisticated, exposing organisations to reputational damage, fraud, disrupted operations and poor decision-making if information is not properly verified.
“This human-led approach is especially important across African markets where risks are often highly localised,” adds Ghigliotti. “Election-related rumours, a disease outbreak in a neighbouring country, or a security incident may require interpretation by professionals who understand the local language, infrastructure challenges, community nuances, and regulatory environments.”
The report highlights the Ebola outbreak in the conflict-affected eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, its cross-border spread into Uganda and the resulting travel restrictions as an example of how health, security, mobility, and crisis communications can converge rapidly – requiring coordinated decision-making informed by both technology and local expertise.
“AI-generated deepfakes of real health professionals sharing false information on measures to contain a natural outbreak is the new frontier of biowarfare, weaponised from a computer screen, without the need for introduction of a biological agent,” adds Dr Chris van Straten, global health advisor, Clinical Governance at International SOS.
Governance, not just technology
The research suggests the challenge is no longer simply detecting emerging risks, but responding to them quickly and consistently.
- 68% of organisations believe they respond fairly quickly to developing threats.
- Only 10% say they can respond very quickly.
- 20% admit they are not quick to respond at all.
In an environment where misleading content can spread globally within minutes, delays can have significant operational consequences. The findings also reveal gaps in organisational preparedness:
- 17% of organisations are unclear about what happens after a new risk is identified.
- 25% lack clarity on escalation triggers.
- Only around 20% report being very clear on how local and global crisis responses align.
“For organisations operating across multiple African countries, these governance gaps can result in inconsistent responses between regional offices, confusion between headquarters and local teams, duplicated effort, and increased pressure on frontline managers during crises,” adds Dr van Straten.
The report also notes growing demand from organisations in Africa for employee mental health and wellbeing support – highlighting that psychosocial risk, fatigue and burnout are becoming increasingly important components of organisational resilience.
“The biggest barriers are not about awareness of risk, but at the point of decision,” says Dr van Straten. “Organisations are often structured for stability, not volatility. That slows action when speed matters most.”
As AI adoption accelerates across Africa, International SOS recommends organisations position AI as a decision-support tool rather than a decision-maker.
“The most resilient organisations will combine AI-enabled monitoring with trusted local intelligence, clearly defined governance structures, disciplined verification processes, and experienced crisis teams,” says Dr van Straten. “In situations involving employee health, safety and security, the final decision must remain firmly human-led.”