African media organisations must pair artificial intelligence with human judgment and empathy to maintain audience trust, experts said at the Pan-Atlantic University media roundtable on Thursday. The webinar, themed 'The Future of African Media: AI, Monetisation, and Editorial Integrity,' examined how newsrooms can adopt the technology without sacrificing the relationships that underpin credible journalism.
AI as an assistant, not a replacement
Mike Okwoche, an international broadcast journalist, told attendees that AI should be viewed as a tool that supports journalists rather than replaces them. "It does not have empathy, but journalism requires empathy," he said. Okwoche added that tasks such as data collection and research are well suited to AI, but human reporters remain responsible for understanding context and building audience relationships.
Jeremiah Bandele, founder of Haroftech Engineering Limited, echoed that view. "AI is just a tool meant to assist us and not take our place. It is not a decision-maker, and trust is key," he said. Bandele stressed that transparency will become more important as organisations integrate AI, particularly given rising concerns around ethics and accountability.
Audience trust and engagement remain human domains
Changing audience behaviour is forcing media outlets to rethink production and distribution, said Morayo Brown, CEO of MAB Productions. Many consumers no longer trust traditional formats and demand more engaging storytelling. Brown noted that AI has lowered production costs, enabling smaller teams to compete more effectively. "AI has helped me compete with a team and has helped me align stories that resonate and captivate an audience," she said.
Still, Brown cautioned that AI cannot handle hosting, live audience interaction, or the real-time connection that builds loyalty. "It is not just about reading the news anymore; it is about engaging the audience," she said. Elizabeth Musa, programme lead and anchor at BusinessDay Media, pointed out that while AI speeds up research, voiceovers and story packaging, people still want to connect with the human behind the content.
The challenge of maintaining a unique voice
Richard Ikiebe, chairman of the board of directors of BusinessDay Media, warned that widespread AI use could erode originality. He said the bigger problem for African media is not the technology itself but the industry's ability to integrate it thoughtfully. "AI is not failing in Africa, but African media is failing to absorb itself into AI intelligently," Ikiebe said.
Okwoche reinforced the point by linking trust to storytelling that touches human existence. "Trust is one of the biggest currencies in journalism. You could be doing stories that touch human existence, and AI may not understand the nuances or peculiarities of this," he said. Without that understanding, he argued, newsrooms risk losing the credibility that sets them apart.
Why this matters for writers
The roundtable's message is clear: AI can speed up research, transcription, and packaging, but it cannot replicate the empathy, trust, and voice that define strong writing. Writers who rely too heavily on automation risk producing content that feels generic and disconnected from the audiences they serve. The most sustainable path forward is to use AI as an assistant while guarding the human elements - nuance, tone, and reader relationship - that no machine can manufacture.
Your membership also unlocks:
