AI Is Already In Nigerian Newsrooms As SMI Launches Rules For Its Responsible Use
Princess-Ekwi Ajide
Artificial intelligence is no longer knocking on the newsroom door; it is already inside.
The challenge for Nigerian journalists is how to use it without allowing speed and automation to erode accuracy, editorial independence and public trust.
For this, the Safer Media Initiative (SMI) has launched three documents to guide newsrooms through that challenge: the Editorial Policy Guidance on Artificial Intelligence for Nigerian Newsrooms, AI Readiness Guide for Newsrooms in Nigeria, and Gender-Sensitive AI Policy Guidance for Nigerian Newsrooms.
Reviewing the documents, Dr Lemmy Ughegbe said AI should neither be treated as a miracle nor an enemy, but as a powerful tool whose impact depends on how responsibly it is governed.
He said AI was already being used to transcribe interviews, translate materials, generate story ideas, analyse data and suggest headlines, warning journalists against blindly trusting its output.
“Before adopting AI, every newsroom should ask: Are we truly ready?” Ughegbe said, stressing the need for human oversight, particularly in investigative journalism.
He warned that uploading confidential documents to public AI platforms could compromise an exclusive story or expose sensitive sources.
Ughegbe urged newsrooms to begin with lower-risk applications such as transcription and translation, while exercising greater caution with investigative reporting, conflict coverage and fully automated content.
He also called for greater investment in journalists’ training, noting that professionals must take responsibility for their own learning where media organisations fall short.
“As you use AI, the new oracle, always ensure there is a human audit. Someone must always ask the most important question: ‘Are you sure?’” he said.
Earlier, SMI Chief Executive Officer Peter Ioter described AI as one of the most disruptive technologies reshaping journalism, warning that newsrooms that refuse to adapt risk becoming irrelevant.
Ioter identified misinformation, deepfakes, threats to editorial independence, workforce displacement and declining advertising revenues among the challenges posed by the technology.
He disclosed that the project had trained 170 journalists across 70 media organisations in Nigeria, equipping them with skills for responsible AI integration.
Ioter said research conducted by the initiative found that most newsrooms lacked formal AI policies, while only a small proportion of journalists had received formal AI training from their organisations.
He urged newsrooms to move beyond collecting the new guidelines and implement them.
“Their true value lies not in their publication, but in their adoption and application,” he said.
The message from the launch was clear: AI can make journalism faster, but only journalists can make it responsible.
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