Artificial intelligence (AI) has been the subject of much discussion lately. Between myths and realities, science fiction scenarios and real technological advances, AI-based systems are rapidly transforming large parts of our societies as well as many sectors such as the media.
For example, TV5Monde recently took advantage of its 40th anniversary to showcase its ambitions in this area. The French-language channel intends to continue expanding its reach by enriching its digital offering and local content production, as well as by integrating artificial intelligence.
The media sector in Africa is not lagging behind, even though it is currently difficult to assess the extent to which AI has been adopted in newsrooms across the continent.
According to a report published in 2022 by Kenyan academics entitled "The Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Newsrooms in Kenya: A Multi-case Study," several African newsrooms (mainly in East Africa) are using AI to gather information and create content. The democratization of artificial intelligence is underway, but the recent use of tools such as Chat GPT has prompted public authorities to react and address crucial issues such as the ethics of using AI in the media.
To kick off the discussion, the African Broadcasting Union (ABU) and UNESCO have decided to organize a summit on artificial intelligence (AI) and the media, from March 4 to 6, 2024, in Yaoundé. This event is presented as a "crucial step towards a smarter and more sustainable media future" for the African continent. The aim is to consider how AI can be integrated into the African media landscape to open up new opportunities without compromising media fairness and the integrity of information disseminated on the continent.
Although AI offers many opportunities, its integration into newsrooms is not without consequences. In fact, in a recent press release dated January 17, 2024, the High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HACA) in Côte d'Ivoire sought to raise awareness on the subject and establish guidelines to regulate the use of AI by audiovisual program publishers and content publishers active on social media.
The HACA wishes to warn of the potential abuses that could arise from the use of AI, such as misinformation, the misappropriation of videos, and the use of fictitious images. From now on, all audiovisual productions generated by AI must be accompanied by a permanent scrolling banner stating this fact.