Pan-Africa Center For AI Ethics’ Post

We’re excited to announce our upcoming Virtual Workshop on Artificial Intelligence & Journalism in partnership with Pollicy and Africa Tech Radio Over the course of three days, participants will engage with top industry experts and thought leaders who are pioneering the use of AI in journalism. This workshop is tailored to address the ethical, technical, and creative dimensions of integrating AI into newsrooms and media operations. 🔍 What to expect: • In-depth sessions on the role of AI in storytelling and data-driven reporting. • Discussions on ethical challenges, such as bias, accountability, and data privacy in AI-driven journalism. • Practical insights on how automation can enhance reporting while preserving human oversight. Participants will walk away with a robust understanding of how AI can empower journalism to be faster, smarter, and more inclusive—all while maintaining trust and integrity. We’re inviting journalists, media professionals, AI practitioners, and anyone interested in the future of media to register and join this exciting journey. 📅 Date: 4th–6th December 2024 💻 Location: Online – accessible from anywhere. 🔗 Register today by scanning the QR code! Be part of the conversation shaping the future of journalism in the age of AI. Together, let’s redefine storytelling for a smarter, ethical, and more informed world. #AIinJournalism #DataJournalism #FutureOfMedia #AIEthics #JournalismInnovation #TechMeetsMedia #MediaFuture #VirtualWorkshop #ResponsibleAI #Pacfaie

#london calling! Join Hacks/Hackers & Polis LSE #JournalismAI to fast-track AI in your news organisation. This event will help you learn how to operationalise AI now to stay ahead, boost accuracy, drive innovation and future proof your business sustainability. Journalists, media leaders, policymakers, and technologists will collaborate to share best AI practices and develop AI strategies while safeguarding media integrity and public trust, ensuring a stronger, sustainable future for journalism. What’s in store 1. Keynotes & fireside chats: Hear from thought leaders in journalism and technology. 2. Interactive workshops, Scenario Planning & tutorials: Work with participants to build AI-driven tools. 3. Networking sessions: Connect with professionals from diverse backgrounds. 4. Lightning talks: Learn about real-world AI applications in news. 5. Strategic support to develop your project: JournalismAI will bring their City Challenge methodology. What You’ll Walk Away With: 1. Practical AI tools: Hands-on experience with AI-driven solutions for improving news accuracy, engagement, and reliability. 2. New insights: A deeper understanding of the ethical challenges and opportunities AI presents in journalism. 3. Collaborative networks: Connections with experts across journalism, tech, and policy for future projects. 4. Actionable strategies: Real-world approaches to using AI to strengthen media integrity and public trust. Sign up now ---> https://lu.ma/uqqmcvgd

In today's ever-evolving digital landscape, AI continues to revolutionize various industries, and its impact on journalism is no exception. 🌐📰 A recent Poynter article delves into how artificial intelligence is transforming journalism, highlighting several key points: 1. **Efficiency and Cost Reduction**: AI’s ability to automate content generation has significantly lowered production costs and increased the output of news organizations. This allows for more extensive coverage and faster reporting on a variety of subjects. 2. **Enhanced Output**: The integration of AI tools can handle vast amounts of data at unprecedented speeds, enabling journalists to focus more on investigative and in-depth reporting. This means more stories can be distributed across different platforms to reach wider audiences. 3. **The Human Element**: Despite the benefits, the article emphasizes the importance of maintaining unique, human-created content. Human creativity and perspective are crucial in producing compelling narratives that stand out amid a flood of AI-generated material. 4. **Balancing Act**: The future of journalism hinges on finding a balance between leveraging AI’s efficiency and preserving the human touch that engenders trust and relatability in storytelling. 🔍 **Notable Implications for the Industry**: - **Quality Over Quantity**: With AI shouldering rote, repetitive tasks, journalists have the opportunity to cultivate more significant, quality content. - **Integrity and Ethics**: Relying too heavily on AI could lead to homogenized news, making it imperative to set standards for transparency and authenticity in AI-driven journalism. - **Skills Evolution**: Journalists will need to adapt by developing new skills to work alongside AI, focusing on data analysis, verification of AI-generated content, and innovative storytelling techniques. This transformative period in journalism is not just a technological shift but also a cultural one. We must harness AI’s capabilities while preserving the invaluable human element that has always been the cornerstone of impactful journalism. 👉 **Let's Discuss**: How do you see AI shaping the future of your industry? What strategies can we implement to ensure a harmonious integration of AI while maintaining the essence of human creativity? #AI #Journalism #TechInnovation #FutureOfWork #HumanTouch #DigitalTransformation

Question for #MediaDevelopment practitioners: Why should we worry about the future of #journalism in an age of #GenerativeAI? Because journalists and news editors may fail to enthusiastically embrace the power and possibilities of #AI tools to transform newsgathering, and relationships with audiences. In the 1920s, radio eliminated the time delay between events and listeners at home. In the 1950s, television changed how audiences understood events and people in power by delivering images into homes. Media outlets slow to apply AI tools to both understand news consumption habits and deliver tailored news experiences and formats to audiences do so at their own peril. Adapt or die! Incredible insights from the Open Society Foundations’ AI in Journalism Futures (AIJF) project show that the profession of journalism, especially in the #GlobalSouth, must reject fear and engage AI (like radio and television a century ago) to change news organizations for the better – because audiences have changed the way they want their information. Key takeaways from the AI in Journalism Futures 2024 report: • Most participants could not identify nor describe specific scenarios that are fundamentally transformational for news and journalism… Most scenarios implicitly assumed that the fundamental structure of news and journalism will remain relatively unchanged. • Most participants expressed significant doubt that the legacy news and journalism industry will successfully adapt to an AI-mediated information ecosystem. • Scenarios describing potential transformational implications of AI for news and journalism are, generally, evaluated by journalists in terms of power dynamics, but evaluated by technologists in terms of value to audiences.  • Skepticism over AI capacity for high quality journalism is rooted in the nature of the ‘transformer’ architecture that is the basis of current multi-modal language models. Another common source of skepticism was the persistent presence of “hallucinations” in AI output—another consequence of the transformer architecture—which might undercut AI’s time-saving capabilities due to the need for heavy editorial oversight. • Participants felt overwhelmed by the complexity of the information ecosystem (current and future), by AI, and by the pace of change at the intersection of AI and information. Many expressed a sense that AI was emerging into an existing environment that was already incredibly complex and uncertain, with enormously consequential issues around trust in information, changing audiences for information, business models for information producers, relationships with platforms, etc., mostly unresolved. #internationaldevelopment #medialiteracy #socialmedia #disinformation

Understanding how AI really works, what its limits are, and how it can be ethically used in a newsroom are all vital pieces of knowledge for journalists in our current era of AI hype. If you're a news worker in the Asia-Pacific region, join me on Tuesday 27 August for an online masterclass to level-up your AI literacy skills – registration link & more details below!

🚀 **Navigating the AI Landscape in Journalism: A Deep Dive** 🚀 In the rapidly evolving world of #AI, the intersection with journalism is sparking heated debates and varied public opinions. A recent study from the Reuters Institute highlights a spectrum of reactions from the public regarding the use of AI in news production. Here's what we need to consider: 🔍 **Public Perception**: Despite AI's backstage role in newsrooms for years, tools like ChatGPT have brought AI-driven journalism to the forefront, causing a shift in public interest and publisher perspectives. While some applaud the innovation, others are wary, fearing a loss of authenticity and potential misinformation. 👥 **Demographic Divide**: Awareness and acceptance of AI in news production widely vary across different socio-demographic groups. Younger, tech-savvy audiences might embrace AI more quickly than those unacquainted with its capabilities and risks. 📊 **Comfort with AI**: The study reveals that people are generally more comfortable with AI assisting journalists rather than completely taking over editorial roles. The consensus suggests a hybrid model where AI supports human efforts, ensuring accuracy and enriching content without fully replacing the human touch. 🌐 **Ethical Considerations**: The ethical implications are immense. From transparency about AI's role to addressing biases and ensuring the diversity of perspectives, the journalism industry must tread carefully to maintain trust. 🤖 **Future Prospects**: As AI continues to evolve, so will its applications in journalism. It's crucial for news organizations to keep the public informed about how AI is being used, demystifying the technology and discussing its benefits and limitations openly. 👀 Stay informed and critical. What's your view on AI-generated news? Do you trust AI to stay fair and factual? Join the conversation below! #Journalism #ArtificialIntelligence #MediaEthics #FutureOfNews #TechInnovation --- Feel free to adapt this template to fit the specific tone and requirements of your LinkedIn audience or Facebook followers, focusing on sparking engaging discussions and insightful comments.

SMEC 2024 is set to explore the critical intersection of journalism and artificial intelligence, heralding a new era for media practitioners. Here are five key takeaways from the article "Hawana: AI to be discussed at SMEC 2024": 1. SMEC 2024 Introduction: The inaugural session will delve into AI in journalism among other topics from May 25-27. 2. Focus on AI Ethics: Discussing the ethical use of AI in media, highlighting the importance of legal and ethical awareness. 3. Diverse Topics: The event will feature discussions on data journalism, social media engagement, and netizen journalism. 4. Notable Participation: Expecting over 1,000 participants from ASEAN, fostering extensive networking and idea exchange. 5. Event Theme: Themed 'Evolution of Media in the Digital Era', aiming to tackle current challenges and promote digital advancements. #SMEC2024 #Journalism #ArtificialIntelligence #MediaEthics #DigitalMedia For more details, check out the full article link in comments.

AI is revolutionising journalism, from curating stories and personalising news recommendations to analysing vast datasets and automating tasks. But does the hype live up to the reality? Join an exclusive Telum Media online masterclass on Tuesday, 27 August, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM NZST (11:00 AM to 12:00 PM AEST), and dive deep into the world of AI in journalism. Hosted by Ximena Smith, Communications Lead at the Brainbox Institute, this masterclass will explore AI’s practical applications, navigate the ethical complexities, and share insights on how to responsibly leverage this powerful technology in the news industry. She’ll delve into case studies from New Zealand, Australia and the broader Asia-Pacific region. In this session, you’ll: 🤖 Demystify AI: Understand AI and its relevance to journalism. 🏆 Explore success stories: Learn from successful AI implementations and best practices. ⚖️ Navigate the legal landscape: Discover the laws and regulations surrounding AI in journalism. 🏋♀️ Examine AI’s training impact: Understand how AI’s learning from news content affects publishers and journalistic practices. 🔮 Shape the future: Find out how news organisations, tech companies, and policymakers can collaborate to maximize AI’s benefits and manage its risks. Secure your spot for $29.15 AUD (incl. booking fee and GST) — keep your eyes peeled for Early Bird tickets and special deals! 👀 https://lnkd.in/gmmCwtwc

As the world grapples with the explosion of new AI tools, questions about newsrooms' ethical use of AI are more crucial than ever. If you're a journalist in the Asia Pacific region, don't miss next Tuesday's masterclass hosted by Brainbox's Ximena Smith. She'll discuss effective use cases of AI in news media, explore legal and ethical issues for journalists using AI tools, and provide guidance on leveraging AI while maintaining audience trust. Registration details below.

Today I had the great pleasure to join online a group of African journalists from the FactCheckAfrica network. I gave a presentation and we talked about how we can use Generative AI for multimedia products in journalism. Thank you FactCheck Africa for allowing me to share my knowledge and learn from you! Special thanks to the wonderful Prudence Emudianughe for making the whole event as productive and smooth as possible for everyone. Check also out my next post about their brand-new MyAIFactChecker, and explore yourself Africa’s first fact-checking platform powered by AI. When I talk about Generative AI, I always include a short sequence in which I talk about how we must "demystify AI”. For me, this means essentially two things. Firstly, we should not leave the narrative about the use and benefits of this high technology to the global marketing and profit machine. Instead, we should create our own humanistic narratives that harmonize the benefits with human rights, ethical imperatives and resource justice. And network with like-minded people, act together and try to influence systemic developments in our societies and industries. Secondly, to educate people around the world about all aspects of AI systems, positive use cases, improvements and precautions as well as risks, threats and harms. I also emphasize that everyone needs to understand that using AI systems in a non-harmful way is not the responsibility of the individual, but that we need to research and work together and constantly learn from each other. Editors and organizations need to develop AI guidelines for procurement and usage, as well as an ethical framework for internal and external use. This technology is now reaching people all over the world via their smartphones, whether we are prepared for it or not. A productive approach is to use generative AI as an augmented assistance system to increase productivity, personalize certain experiences when interacting with computers and facilitate newsroom workflows. Think about and explore which tasks and workflow phases can be improved by using AI systems, rather than about replacing roles or entire creative processes. FactCheckAfrica #GenAI #journalism #facts #digitalethics #communications