The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kwara Council on Wednesday in Ilorin, held a training for journalists on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in news reporting.
The Workshop, titled: “Artificial Intelligence (AI): Is Journalism on Trial?” was organised by the Council, in collaboration with E-SANAD Academy, a consultancy firm.
Mr Kehinde Kamaldeen, a resource person, in his speech, urged journalists to embrace AI as a tool, to enhance reporting, while ensuring that human judgment and fact-checking remained central to journalism.
Kamaldeen warned against complete reliance on AI-generated content, stressing the importance of providing clarity, context, and structured guidance when using such tools.
“It is not encouraging for a journalist to depend entirely on AI-provided answers. There is a need to fact-check content before publication, to ensure its credibility,” he said.
Similarly, Mr Ganiyu Yusuf, the Chief Executive Officer of ESANAD Consult Limited, encouraged reporters to integrate AI into their workflow responsibly, particularly with political reporting ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“AI can generate content quickly, but it is prone to errors known as hallucinations. When this happens, human oversight is crucial.
“AI should add value, not replace human responsibility,” he explained.
The ESANAD boss advised journalists to use AI for paraphrasing and summarising, but cautioned against relying on it to produce core news without verification.
Chairman, Kwara NUJ Council, Malam Ahmed AbdulLateef warned that overreliance on AI could threaten creativity and critical thinking in the profession.
“Journalists now write seamlessly without fear of editorial queries, thanks to AI.
“However, some journalists have allowed creativity to die, relying heavily on machines for tasks they could do with their brains,” he said.
AbdulLateef encouraged continuous learning and self-development, even in an AI-driven newsroom, and called for investment in indigenous AI solutions to reduce dependence on foreign technologies.
It was gathered that the workshop provided journalists with practical guidance on using AI responsibly while maintaining the core values of accuracy, creativity, and ethical reporting.
