Stakeholders in the media industry have advocated self-regulation as a measure to address unethical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is emerging as a key driver of misinformation, disinformation, deepfake technology and baised content moderation
This was part of resolutions at a webinar organised by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Nigeria, in collaboration with Penpushing Media, to commemorate the World Press Freedom Day. The theme of the webinar, “Reporting in the Brave New World – The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom and the Media”, was interrogated by a panel of media experts in the academia and practice.
They included a member of the editorial board of Penpushing Media, Sir Eddy Aina, who was also a Director at the National Broadcasting Commission; Group Head of Documentaries and Features at the Media Trust Group, Ms Amina Yuguda, who has a vast experience in media education and journalism. including at the British Broadcasting Corporation; and Senior Lecturer at Lagos State University, Ojo, Dr. Ganiyat Tijani-Adenle.
The discussants were unanimous in acknowledging that AI is transforming journalism, providing tools that enhance investigative reporting, content creation, and fact-checking and it allows for greater efficiency, multilingual accessibility, and improved data analysis. They, however, noted that these advancements equally bring risks as AI also possesses the capacity to generate fake and misleading contents.
The webinar suggested the establishment of an “AI and Media Observatory” comprising of experts from diverse media backgrounds, AI policy makers, AI ethics experts, and fact-checking experts, among others, to monitor the media landscape for AI-generated misinformation and disinformation, deepfakes, biased content moderation, and surveillance threats to journalists.
The recommendations included organise training for journalists and other media practitioners on the use of AI in news/programme production and dissemination, launch a nation-wide integrated public awareness campaign on AI and news consumption and distribution with emphasis on Media and Information Literacy competencies to curtail mass distribution of fake contents in the social media and other digital platforms.
In his welcome speech, UNIC Country Director, Roland Kayanja stressed the importance of celebrating the work of journalists on this year World Press Freedom Day commemoration.
He acknowledged journalists working on a very difficult condition, and made reference to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) records of those of them who lost their lives in the line of duty, highlighting the importance of the journalist, emphasising that there will be no strong democracy without the journalist.
Kayanja stressed the need for professional journalism to address the proliferation of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech. He, however, mentioned the challenges and opportunities as technology evolves and with AI.
‘With the proliferation of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech, we need professional journalism more, not less in these days because we need to expose the truth, to be able to know between the truth and lies that digital media and even increasing AI will expose us to’, he said.
UNESCO’s Director General, Audrey Azoulay noted that the advent of the Internet and social networks has considerably facilitated individual expression and democratised the production of online content.
Represented by Ms Yachat Nuhu, the UNESCO DG stated that it has also posed increased risks to information integrity, and these risks have been amplified by algorithms.
‘These circumstances are all the more relevant given that, in a study conducted by UNESCO in 2023, 56% of the people surveyed said that they used digital platforms as their principal source of news’, he said.
The Chairman Editorial Board of Penpushing Media, Mrs. Funke Fadugba urged practitioners to embrace AI, but with caution to avoid erosion of originality.
She pointed the enormous advantages of AI such as providing data needed to widen the scope of reportage, and bridging the gap of time that would have been spent traveling to search for information.
Fadugba however said that journalists needed to sustain the humanity aspect of reporting and highlighted that, in a democracy, there is a need for interaction and socialisation, which AI cannot functionally provide.
The Founder of Penpushing Media, Prince Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji expressed appreciation to UNIC, adding that the partnership has remain added value to the organization
He equally appreciated participants and assured that the organisation would not derail from its policy of responsible journalism, or relent in its effort in fight against fake news and their purveyors, stressing that the era of social media is becoming a threat to the profession.
The founder of the first online newspaper in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, encouraged media houses to introduce corporate social responsibility as part of their policy,
