Mr Dapo Olorunyomi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development CEO, (CJID) has said that the media is the most disrupted industry of the digital era.
Speaking on Monday at the Journalism, Digital Tech and AI dialogue, Mr Olorunyomi said as the most disrupted industry, the news media missed out on the opportunities created by several major disruptions which helped create new empires of wealth and power on the very back of the media.
He noted that the critical nexus between journalism, technology, and democracy is a key signifier of the digital era.
Highlights of Mr Olorunyomi’s speech
He challenged stakeholders to confront ethical quandaries head-on. From negotiating partnerships with big tech platforms to advocating for regulatory frameworks, he said the dialogue underscored the urgency of proactive engagement in shaping the future of journalism in the AI age.
With a diverse audience including diplomatic dignitaries, government officials, tech luminaries, civil society representatives, academia, and media practitioners, the event aimed to dissect the impact of AI on journalism and chart a course for ethical and effective integration.
Reflecting on CJID’s journey over the past decade, Olorunyomi highlighted the organization’s mission to navigate the digital transition that reshaped the media landscape in Nigeria and beyond.
Mr Olorunyomi unveiled CJID’s initiative to establish an AI Ethics Advisory Committee. Comprising leading minds of the community to help draft an AI ethics code that will guide the path into this new uncharted territory.
Speaking on why the impact of the disruptions was so severe in Nigeria and Africa and the slow recovery, he said “In the mind of the CJID the key challenges were a terrifying knowledge gap about the digital moment, the failure to appreciate the shift in the logic model of the media, that media is the most disrupted industry of the digital era, and the lack of appreciation that the business model that supported the industry had become atrophied.
He said one of the reasons the dialogue was convened was to help design the neural outlines of the conversation around AI and the journalism industry.
Panel discussion
Also speaking, Mr Idris Akinbajo, the Managing Editor of Premium Times said investigative journalists should be more happy that artificial intelligence is here. He said “ We are not among the journalists or professionals who are worried about the presence of AI.. We believe significantly that AI can only better the course of reporting to become better investigative journalists and to be able to hold power more accountable.
Mr Akinbajo highlighted four ethical concerns for investigative journalists regarding AI:
- AI should not replace human industry, as journalists must remain conscious of the AI platforms they choose and ensure they complement rather than replace human reporting efforts.
- AI must minimise harm to journalists, adhering to the fundamental ethical principle of minimising harm. AI tools should not violate this principle.
- AI must be fair, with journalists paying attention to the motivations behind AI platforms and ensuring fairness to all parties involved.
- AI platforms must be transparently designed, and journalists should consider the transparency of AI makers. Journalists should also be transparent with their audience about their use of AI, fostering transparency in both directions.
Discussing the importance of recognizing and addressing bias in AI content, Kadaria Ahmed, the CEO of Daria Media highlighted the need for core journalistic principles and ethics to be integrated into AI.
She emphasised that data is not neutral, especially in regions like Nigeria with socio-economic disparities. She said without awareness, biases in reporting could be perpetuated in AI usage. For instance, search results for ethnic groups like Yoruba and Igbo yield cultural information, but those for Fulani often emphasize negative associations like “herdsmen” and “terrorist.” Therefore, if AI is trained on biassed reporting, it will reflect and perpetuate those biases.
Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, the Executive Director, Spaces for Change, addressed the importance of authenticity, intellectual property protection, and equitable access to information in AI integration within newsrooms and CSOs.
She emphasised the need for AI-generated content to be fact-checked by humans, highlighted concerns about the lack of consent from original authors, and called for clarity on legal rights for data providers. Additionally, she stressed the significance of recognizing and addressing potential errors in robot-written stories through human oversight.
Mr. Adeboye Adegoke, Manager, Paradigm Initiative emphasized that data protection and privacy should be viewed as a cultural mindset rather than just following laws.
He noted that it’s crucial to instill this culture within teams and organizations, even beyond legal requirements. He said this includes practicing data minimization and ensuring privacy by design in all systems, like AI.
Regarding AI accountability, He pointed out that there is a global conversation about creating mechanisms for transparency and third-party audits to address biases and inequality concerns inherent in AI systems. However, there’s resistance from tech companies due to concerns about intellectual property rights.
About CJID: The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) is a non-governmental organisation in Nigeria founded in 2014. CJID has been a leader in investigative journalism, innovation, open data, verification, promotion of the welfare and safety of journalist, elections, the freedom of information and expression. In 2020, the CJID expanded its footprint beyond Nigeria and moved into specific niches in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and The Gambia. This expansion has extended to parts of Francophone Africa, including Cameroon, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).