AI Can’t Replace Human Responsibility, Experts Warn as Safer-Media Initiative Unveils Newsroom Policy Guides

Maryam Aminu

Artificial intelligence is transforming journalism at an unprecedented pace, but it must never replace human judgment, responsibility or ethical decision-making, media experts declared on Friday as the Safer-Media Initiative (SMI), launched three policy resources to guide the responsible use of AI in Nigerian newsrooms.

The policy documents were unveiled in Abuja during the official presentation of the Newsroom AI Policy Guidance Resources, attended by media executives, senior editors, journalists and other stakeholders.

The initiative forms part of a nationwide campaign to encourage Nigerian media organisations to adopt institutional AI policies that promote innovation while safeguarding journalism ethics.

Developed under the Artificial Intelligence and Media (AIM) Project: Navigating the Present and Shaping the Future, the resources were produced by the Safer-Media Initiative with funding support from the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) and coordinated by the UNESCO Regional Office for West Africa in Dakar.

The three documents include the Editorial Policy Guidance on Artificial Intelligence for Nigerian Newsrooms, the AI Readiness Guide for Newsrooms in Nigeria, and the Gender-Sensitive AI Policy Guidance for Nigerian Newsrooms. They are designed to help media organisations institutionalise responsible AI use by strengthening transparency, accountability, editorial independence and public trust.

Speaking at the event, Executive Director of the Safer-Media Initiative, Peter Iorter, described AI as one of the most disruptive innovations reshaping journalism worldwide.
Drawing on Harvard Professor Clayton Christensen’s Theory of Disruptive Innovation, Iorter said artificial intelligence has revolutionised news gathering, production, editing and distribution, while creating intense competition between traditional newsrooms and digital content creators.

He, however, cautioned that the technology also presents significant risks, including misinformation, disinformation, deepfakes, threats to editorial independence, ethical dilemmas, workforce displacement and declining advertising revenue for conventional media organisations.

According to him, the AIM Project was established to prepare Nigerian newsrooms for AI integration while ensuring journalist safety and ethical reporting remain central to technological advancement.

Iorter disclosed that the project has so far trained 107 journalists from 70 media organisations across the country, equipping them with practical skills for the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence in newsroom operations.
“The future of journalism will not be determined by whether AI exists it already does. It will be determined by how responsibly we choose to use it,” he said.

Reviewing the policy documents, media scholar and communication expert, Dr. Lemmy Ughegbe, stressed that artificial intelligence should remain a tool that supports journalism rather than replacing journalists’ professional judgment.

He explained that the three policy guides provide complementary frameworks covering newsroom preparedness before AI adoption, governance during deployment and safeguards against misuse.

Ughegbe said the debate is no longer about whether journalists should use AI, but whether the technology would be deployed transparently, safely and responsibly.
“You cannot yield your thinking faculties to artificial intelligence. Every newsroom must continually ask one question: Are you sure?” he advised.

He warned journalists against uploading confidential documents, unpublished investigations or sensitive source materials onto public AI platforms, saying such actions could compromise investigations, expose confidential sources and create legal liabilities for media organisations.

Ughegbe recommended that AI adoption should initially focus on low-risk tasks such as transcription and translation, while greater caution should be exercised in investigative journalism, election reporting and fully automated content generation.

He maintained that every AI-assisted report must undergo rigorous human verification before publication because legal and ethical responsibility ultimately rests with journalists and media organisations not AI systems.

“Artificial intelligence may assist journalists, but it must never replace the journalist’s judgment, responsibility or conscience,” he said.

Ughegbe also highlighted the gender-related risks associated with AI, warning that female journalists are increasingly vulnerable to AI-generated harassment, manipulated images, synthetic sexual content and other forms of digital abuse.

He urged media organisations to establish confidential reporting mechanisms, provide legal and psychosocial support for victims and adopt zero tolerance for AI-enabled gender-based violence.

While acknowledging that artificial intelligence has become a permanent feature of modern journalism, Ughegbe called on journalists to use the technology deliberately, transparently, safely and accountably, stressing that the future of the profession depends on striking the right balance between human intelligence and artificial intelligence.