Journalism and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the 21ST Century: End of an Era?

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming contemporary journalism through automated news production and distribution, data analysis, and new forms of interaction between journalists and sources beyond the newsroom. However, the adoption and implications of AI in Nigerian journalism remain insufficiently understood. This study explores the impact of AI on newsrooms and examines how AI technologies can be more effectively integrated into journalistic practice. Anchored in technological determinism theory and diffusion of innovations theory, the study employed a mixed-methods approach. The findings indicate that Nigerian journalists have yet to adopt AI extensively because of unreliable electricity, limited financial resources for acquiring and maintaining AI technologies, high internet connectivity costs, and inadequate training for AI users. The study also identifies several professional and ethical concerns, including diminished journalistic creativity, insufficient human oversight, algorithmic bias, limited transparency, inadequate fact-checking, and potential threats to fairness. Despite these challenges, AI does not constitute a serious threat to professional journalism; instead, it continues to add value to journalistic practice in the digital age. The study concludes that journalists, particularly those in developing countries such as Nigeria, must adapt to technological change while maintaining appropriate professional and ethical safeguards. These findings contribute to understanding AI adoption in developing-country newsrooms and underscore the need for investment in infrastructure, capacity development, human oversight, and responsible AI governance.