A half-day training workshop themed “The Rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Its Impact on Journalism” took place on Tuesday in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, organized by Xinhua News Agency Africa Regional Bureau.
Nearly 100 participants, including editors and news reporters from over 10 media outlets in Kenya and across Africa, attended the training, which was conducted in a hybrid format.
The participants were also taken through the journey of Xinhua News Agency’s adoption of AI throughout its new production pipeline, from news gathering to research, editing, and dissemination.
In a virtual presentation, Chen Yingying, an associate professor at the School of Journalism and Communication, Renmin University of China, encouraged African media practitioners to embrace AI, highlighting its positive impacts and challenges.
Chen noted that while AI will not replace human journalists, the technology is largely assistive and can be utilized to boost efficiency in news-gathering, packaging, and dissemination.
According to Chen, AI tools can be useful in transcribing, analyzing data, and developing graphics. Meanwhile, individual journalists should enhance their awareness of the risks posed by the technology, such as the spread of misinformation.
Rosalia Omungo, chief executive officer of the Kenya Editors’ Guild, a professional association for senior editors in the East African country, said the training seminar provided valuable insights into AI and its potential to transform the media industry in Africa.
“I think AI uptake has begun. That is where Kenyan journalism should go because AI is coming to provide efficiency, to augment systems that are in place, the news processes, news-gathering, and dissemination,” Omungo said.
She added that China provides a template through which African newsrooms can learn from and accelerate the adoption of AI, stressing that continuous training of journalists will help dispel myths surrounding the technology.
Patrick Vidija, digital editor at Kenya’s Standard Media Group, hailed the training seminar as highly impactful in terms of gaining a better understanding of AI and its application in news reporting.
“On the digital front, we interact a lot with AI. This training is timely since we are able to open our perspective on how to apply and use AI,” Vidija added.
by XINHUA
