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Nick Mangwana
Government Up Close
We are living in the new age; a world where you can just imagine something and Artificial Intelligence(AI) can conjure it up for you.
Is this a revolutionary tool for use in journalism or a threat to the very fabric and rubric of the profession?
As more and more of us start to use AI and there is a prevalence in its use in our daily lives, and journalists like other professionals are embracing it, we are seeing more and more AI generated content.
The question remains: Is AI a cheat or a neat addition to the world of journalism?
A simple definition of Artificial Intelligence (which this author got from an AI application) describes AI as “computer systems that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence.”
I have been privy to interesting debates among media professionals with one camp viewing certain adoptions of technology as laziness while a new crop of journalists argues it is the modern and easier way to do things.
The old school believes in manual research for articles, relying on one’s institutional memory built by years of experience, sometimes even using the good old notebook to take notes, then putting pen to paper and publishing.
However, the coming in of AI means one can just use a programme to dig up data from archives of previously published stories, classify the types of stories and produce completely new news stories that are a product of algorithms. There is now automated news aggregation, there is AI generated articles among other different use of AI-powered tools.
The way news is gathered, produced and disseminated has been massively transformed that some of the conservative connoisseurs of the profession believe this is cheating and that there are ethical considerations to be discussed.
The question now is should someone who conjures up stories using ChatGPT or CoPilot be held in the same esteem as a trained journalist who writes his own original report?
And if that trained journalist uses AI to generate half or more of his article, is he or she still a journalist worth his salt? Is there a clear distinction between adoption of modern ways in journalism and cheating?
I am not sure there is actually a link between the coming in of AI and other new media tools and the intensified prevalence of fake news, misinformation and disinformation including by some “professional” journalists.
Whether there is a link or not, there is a lurking danger somewhere.
In July, we saw violent protests erupt in the UK triggered largely by an AI generated image.
Violent protests erupted after three young girls were killed in a knife attack at a party. Someone then started spreading a lie on social media that the perpetrator was Muslim and an asylum seeker. Then someone generated and spread online, AI images of a man in traditional Muslim attire waving a knife outside the UK House of Parliament.
A number of influencers then jumped onto the false narrative and urged their followers to protest. That is how the UK found itself in the middle of violent protests and anarchy in several cities.
On the other hand, some contend that the use of AI powered tools in journalism has enabled journalists to work more efficiently, has freed them from tedious routines to focus on more complex and high value reporting and analysis.
There are certainly benefits being derived from employing AI powered tools in the profession.
Tasks such as data analysis and research can be automated and the journalist is left to focus on more in-depth reporting. The production errors can be reduced and if one is using better tools then errors in articles can be reduced.
There is also a cost saving element as automated content can reduce production costs which can enable news organisations to channel resources elsewhere.
News organisations are under cosh from disruptive technologies and the only way to survive is to creatively embrace the technology and deploy it. But like everything else, there is a lingering downside to the use of AI in journalism.
Critics argue that irresponsible use of Artificial Intelligence tools can lead to disregard of all basic and tenets of good journalism and harm a nation.
Inasmuch as we embrace AI in journalism, there should be some consensus arrived at by stakeholders involved in the media sector on the ethics and moral codes to ensure that the sector remains a respected and trusted Fourth Estate.
This writer believes that the use of AI in journalism demands a robust moral code to ensure high ethical standards are maintained. On top of it all should be the issue of disclosure and transparency. All AI generated content should be disclosed so the consumer of the news product and other professionals are aware.
This can go the same way referencing is done when someone has borrowed a concept or idea. This is because AI should support, but not replace human judgement.
Editorial control, oversight and responsibility should all remain in human hands.
Journalists should just avoid over-reliance on AI because it has its limitations.
AI is a tool and the tool is not the artisan
A tool can only function in the hands of the professional. This is to say, AI should never be used as an excuse to compromise journalism’s core values of accuracy, fairness and truthfulness. If this moral code is maintained as a standard, then journalism can harness AI’s potential while protecting the integrity and trustworthiness of the profession.
There must be a conscious effort to promote fact-based reporting and transparency.
Online news outlets must be held to the same standards as traditional media, with a focus on accuracy and verification.
While there are some challenges in dealing with every Tom, Dick and Harry using social media to spread lies for kicks or for clicks or even for malicious intent, it behoves individuals who are proud of their profession as journalists to rein in the lunatic fringe who use AI as a substitute for common ethics and standards.
A person has both a right to reply and a right to be heard. AI on its own will not uphold that cardinal right. It takes human intervention. It may take a human intervention to ensure that the right to privacy where it is ethically correct is protected and children are also protected.
The increasing deployment of AI in the media raises critical concerns on legal imperatives and those around gender inclusion.
One of the issues around the use of AI is around embedded biases and one of those is gender biases.
There is great risk that those biases will be perpetuated thus exacerbating prejudices and inequalities.
There is a need for media organisations themselves to lead in AI designs that factor datasets that address diversity and counteract legacy prejudices.
Media regulators like the Zimbabwe Media Commission should come up with a framework that ensures gender representation, diversity, and all forms of inequality.
There must be harmony between gender sensitivity and AI generated content. There must not be harmful narratives generated by AI in news making.
On our part, Government heartily appreciates the need to constantly move with the times and not be laggards when it comes to modernisation and professionalisation of the media sector.
At the launch of three ICT policies in Somabhula in March this year, His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa highlighted that “Digital technologies must go beyond the use of ICT for social media and entertainment. We must use the infrastructure that my Government is putting in place to improve service delivery in health care, education and agriculture, among many other aspects.”
However, we believe the same ethical considerations and professionalism that applied from the days of the Quill should also apply now.
An unverified story remains a lie whether there is disruptive technology or not.
Like many other nations, Zimbabwe is developing a National Artificial Intelligence Policy aimed at ensuring ethical and effective AI integration in all sectors.
The framework has already gone before Cabinet and has been adopted.
A proposed Media and Communication Policy by the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services also addresses the need for professional use of AI and other new technologies in the media sector.
This will soon go before Cabinet. Government is forward thinking and planning ahead to ensure Zimbabwe is out there with the first and up there with the best.
As AI transforms the journalism landscape, the profession stands at a critical crossroads. While AI’s potential to enhance research, streamline workflows, and personalise content is undeniable, its integration demands serious commitment to ethical standards.
The lines between human and machine-generated content must remain clear; transparency is paramount, and accountability must be ensured.
Journalists must prioritise fact-over-fiction, objectivity-over-bias, and truth-over-clickbait.
AI should support, not replace, human judgment, lest we sacrifice the very essence of journalism. By embracing AI ethically, journalists can harness its convenience, its power to inform, educate, and inspire, upholding the sacred trust between the press and the public.
Nick Mangwana is the Permanent Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services
Online Reporter