By Flata Kavinga
The Midlands Observer editor Chipo Gudhe has urged journalists to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) as a useful newsroom tool while adhering to the ethical principles of journalism.
Speaking during belated World Press Freedom Day celebrations held in Kwekwe, Gudhe said AI had become widely used in media work for research, verification, translation and transcription but warned that its growing use had also brought challenges related to plagiarism and accountability.
The commemorations were organised by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Kwekwe branch in partnership with the Kwekwe Press Club.
World Press Freedom Day is observed annually on 3 May to mark the 1991 Windhoek Declaration, which advocates for independent and pluralistic journalism.
This year’s global theme was “Shaping a Future at Peace: Promoting Press Freedom for Human Rights, Development and Security.”
Gudhe said journalists should return to the “basics of journalism” when using AI.
“Ethical journalism should be the first line of defence for every journalist. While AI is a useful tool, we are not saying journalists should abandon professional principles such as objectivity, fairness and ethical conduct,” she said.
She noted that some online outlets were using AI to rewrite stories produced by other journalists and then republishing them without attribution, a practice she said undermined originality and creativity in journalism.
“As media practitioners, we should focus on being creative and maintaining originality. AI should not be used to plagiarise other people’s work,” Gudhe said.
She also raised the issue of transparency, saying news organisations should consider informing readers when AI has been used for tasks such as editing, research or transcription.
“We need to be accountable to our readers. If AI has been used to assist with editing or research, that should be disclosed so that there is transparency and accountability,” she said.
Addressing fears that AI could replace journalists, Gudhe said the technology could not substitute the human element of reporting, particularly in areas such as investigative journalism and field reporting.
“AI will never replace a journalist. It is there to assist us, but it still requires the human angle behind the computer. AI does not go into the field to gather stories,” she said.
Gudhe compared the current transition to the period when newsrooms moved from typewriters to computers, saying journalists who failed to adapt to technological changes had struggled to remain in the profession.
She encouraged media practitioners to adapt to technological developments while safeguarding the core values of journalism.
“At the core of AI is news writing but a journalist will always be a journalist. The profession still depends on human judgement, ethics and the ability to gather information from the field,” she said.
