The public lecture delivered by the Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Mr Lanre Arogundade, on AI, Journalism and Press Freedom, at the 60th birthday celebration of Professor Tunde Akanni, Ph.D and Dr Omolade Sanni of Lagos State University (LASU) was not only insightful for my academic work but also impactful as it reflected the feedback of professional stakeholders like Taiwo Obe and Lekan Otufodunrin on AI use in journalism.
His paper highlighted a need for Nigerian journalists to move beyond the individualistic approach, the company-wide policies, and come up with an industry-wide approach of how we will engage with AI and other emerging trends.
And we must act quickly.
If we don’t, water will naturally find its level with the early adopters in the lead and a majority already burdened by other concerns struggling behind.
As raised by Mr Arogundade, AI could be weaponised against the media. Without the knowledge and resources to counter such attacks, the consequences for press freedom could be severe.
The theme for this year’s World Press Freedom Day, ‘Reporting in the Brave New World: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom and the Media’, sets the tone.
