Google VP Urges Journalists To Embrace AI In Media

Media stakeholders and journalists have been enjoined to embrace the emerging dominance of synthetic media and Artificial intelligence (AI) in their line of duty given the task they bear in ensuring accountability, sustainability, and dissemination of information.

The Vice President (News) at Google, Richard Gingras, said this while speaking during a conversation session with Dapo Olorunyomi, Publisher, Premium Times, at the ongoing West Africa Journalism Innovation Conference (WAJIC) in Abuja.

The conversation, which centered on journalism and the challenges of innovation in the field, explored the possibilities embedded in the use of AI beyond the prevailing fears of eliminating the job of a journalist.

Gingras opined that despite the current negativity surrounding AI as an enhancer of misinformation, journalists should utilise the positive sides of the tool to improve the value of data gathering and garnering news trends.

According to the Google executive, journalists will be more innovative when they understand that technology, alongside human behavior and expression, will help to understand the varying interests of their audience and how best to serve their information desire.

“Right now, journalists think about AI with fear but can we look at it to expand what we do? Can we use it to reach out to the broad community, with questions like, how do we make sure to satisfy the information hunger of our audience?” Gingras queried.

Holistically, the Google boss believes that journalists may be required to do much more; by understanding the right linguistics and behavioral pattern of their audience through technology, and building public trust by aligning their stories based on their findings.

WAJIC is an event that provides a platform for discussions on ways to explore innovations, technology models, and tools that can fortify journalism practice.

This year’s maiden conference is themed “Accountability Journalism: Innovation for a Sustainable Future”. It explores business models that West African newsrooms can explore without compromising the principles of accuracy, truthfulness, verification, and utmost dedication to public purpose.