African journalist leaders adopt AI and decent-work action plan

African journalist leaders have adopted a continental advocacy action plan intended to combine responsible use of artificial intelligence with decent working conditions, quality journalism and media freedom. The Federation of African Journalists agreed the plan at the close of a two-day dialogue and capacity-building programme in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, held Oct. 24-25. The meeting, titled “Advancing Responsible Artificial Intelligence and Decent Work for Quality Journalism in Africa,” brought together journalist leaders and representatives of the African Union Commission, UNESCO, the International Labour Organization and the European Union. According to Shabelle Media, the plan is designed to guide the FAJ and its affiliated organisations in advocacy across the continent. The federation plans to pursue its priorities through member bodies and networks, and by engaging the African Union, regional economic communities, UN agencies, organised labour, human-rights groups and other partners. The discussions treated AI as a potential aid to reporting, including for research, translation and verification. But they also considered fabricated material, impersonation of trusted sources and the rapid dissemination of disinformation. Participants identified verification skills, the ability to counter misinformation and editorial independence as necessary conditions for responsible use, Independent Voice reported. Employment conditions were central to the meeting. Participants linked low or delayed pay, insecure work, absent contracts and inadequate social protection to weaker reporting quality and diminished editorial independence. They also considered whether automation and cost-cutting could reduce newsroom staffing, while discussing collective bargaining, labour rights and digital organising as means to strengthen journalists’ workplace voice. FAJ President Omar Faruk Osman said AI “must not deepen the precarious conditions” faced by journalists. He argued that responsible AI, decent work and media freedom were interconnected, and said the technology should support journalists’ work and complement human judgment. The programme also addressed physical attacks, legal harassment, digital security and impunity for crimes against journalists. It considered online harassment and digital violence targeting women journalists. Its deliberations drew on an FAJ survey of 1,586 journalists in 45 countries, described as the first journalist-led continental survey of its kind. The federation said the findings would give journalists and their organisations an evidence base for advocacy with media companies, governments and other institutions. FAJ has also warned that AI must not compromise editorial independence, dilute journalistic ethics or silence critical voices. The federation has called for transparent, fair governance of AI, enforceable safeguards for journalistic freedom and data privacy, and training in digital literacy and AI competence.