Experts have called for a balance between protecting
individual privacy and upholding public interest, particularly in the use of
emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
They spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during a three-day
Media and Development Conference (MDC), organised by the Centre for
Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID). The event, which ended
Wednesday, was themed, ‘Navigating Global Shifts: Media and Technology for
Inclusive and Sustainable Development in Africa.’
The conference brought together media professionals,
academics, policymakers, civil society leaders, and technology experts to
explore how media and technology can drive inclusive and sustainable
development across Africa amidst global shifts.
Privacy vs public interest
A panel session on Wednesday, the third and last day
of the event, centred on the intersection of media rights, technology, and
regulation in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. The theme of the discussion
was ‘AI and the Future of Media:Navigating the intersection of Technology and
Democracy’.
The discussion also touched on the challenge of
navigating the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, which guarantees access to
public records, and the Nigerian Data Protection Act, which mandates privacy
protection.
Researcher at Research ICT Africa, Zara Schroeder,
said while the FOI Act is vital for promoting transparency, it can sometimes
clash with privacy concerns.
“The Freedom of Information Act is essential for
ensuring accountability and transparency, but journalists often encounter
challenges when public records requested under FOI contain personal details
that ought to be protected,” she said.
She further emphasised the need for ethical practices
when dealing with sensitive information.
“Journalists must strike a balance between the
public’s right to know and the responsibility to safeguard personal data.
Access to information should not come at the expense of individuals’ privacy,”
she added.
Also speaking, Managing Partner Hamu Legal, Saadatu
Aliyu, noted the need to reflect on the evolving landscape of media,
particularly in the context of AI’s integration into journalism.
She added that while the demonstrations earlier
highlighted how AI can assist journalists, the increasing integration of
technology into what was once considered the original source of truth calls for
regulatory measures.
“As we move from traditional media, which already has
established codes and guidelines, to new media with social media and
smartphones, there is a clear need for sector-specific regulations for AI,” she
stated.
She also pointed out that traditional media already
operate within established codes and guidelines, which dictate actions like
content removal or licensing restrictions.
However, with the rise of new media, including social
media and personal devices, anyone can now become a media producer.
Speaking on developing frameworks, Ms Aliyu stated
that it is important to protect privacy while ensuring journalists can still
report on matters of public interest. She highlighted the challenge media
organisations face when dealing with sensitive personal data.
“The issue arises when we try to balance privacy with
the public’s right to know. Journalists should understand when and how to
anonymize personal data to avoid violating privacy rights. In our current media
landscape, there is a lack of conversation between media houses and data
protection officers about these concerns,”
AI in Journalism
Managing Editor, PREMIUM TIMES, Idris Akinbajo,
expressed concerns about tendency of some journalists to relinquishing their
necessary roles, particularly story writing, to AI.
“AI should be used as a tool to make our work easier,
not to replace the core responsibilities of journalists. When journalists
simply transcribe interviews and hand them over to AI for story generation,
they are relinquishing their roles as the author of the story,” he warned.
He emphasised that AI-generated content lacks the
depth and nuances that human reporters bring to their work. “Journalism is
about more than just facts, it’s about storytelling, analysis, and context. AI
can never replicate that human element, and relying solely on AI for writing
diminishes the skills journalists need to develop,” Mr Akinbajo said.
He added that there’s a risk that audiences may lose
trust in a news outlet if they learn that a stories were entirely written by
AI.
Ethical use of AI
The founder Dataphyte, Joshua Olufemi, addressed the
ethical implications of using AI to access restricted information, such as
bypassing paywalls to gather data.
He discussed the use of AI tools in investigating
public interest issues, such as corruption and transparency, while
acknowledging the need for careful consideration of privacy rights.
“We must consider the ethical responsibility when
using AI to access data. While our use of AI tools may sometimes involve
scraping data from paywalled sources, the intention is always to serve the
public interest, not to harm the revenue streams of media organizations,” he
noted.
The discussion raised questions about the future of
media sustainability, particularly in Africa, where many media outlets are
struggling to compete with tech giants like Google and Facebook for revenue.
However, the panelists emphasised the importance of
cooperation among African media outlets to protect their intellectual property
and negotiate better terms with big tech companies.
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