THE Press Council of South Africa (PCSA) is preaching the importance of press freedom.
This as the world celebrated World Press Freedom Day on Saturday, 3 May. PSCA executive director Phathiswa Magopeni said the day is important particularly as AI has started creeping into newsrooms.
The council said they recognised the urgent need for news media organisations and journalists to proactively engage with the ethical implications of AI.
"This includes transparency in the use of AI in news generation and ensuring that audiences can distinguish between human-authored and AI-assisted content.
"It is also about accountability by establishing clear lines of responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of AI-generated information, mitigation of bias by actively identifying and addressing potential biases embedded within AI algorithms to ensure fair and representative reporting, and human oversight to ensure rigorous verification, editorial control over critical journalistic decisions and ensuring that AI serves as a tool to enhance but not replace human judgement in news processing," Magopeni said.
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PCSA deputy chairwoman Amina Frense said media must innovate but never lose credibility.
"We reaffirm our commitment to supporting a vibrant and ethical media ecosystem, one that embraces innovation responsibly and remains a reliable source of credible information for all citizens in the face of an evolving technological landscape. The integrity of our information environment, and indeed our democracy, depends on it," she said.
Magopeni is currently flying the Mzansi flag in Brussels, Belgium this week at UNESCO's global event, speaking on AI, ethics and the future of news.
"The strength of our democracy and public trust depends on our commitment to truth and ethics - even in the age of AI," she added.
