African Journalists Must Lead With Critical AI Literacy—To Own Continent's Digital Narrative, SA Scholar Says
African Journalists Must Lead With Critical AI Literacy—To Own Continent's Digital Narrative, SA Scholar Says
African journalists must move beyond sensational AI headlines shaped by Western agendas, Sisanda Nkoala, Associate Professor in Media Studies at the University of the Western Cape, told Sputnik Africa.
The expert condemned how Western news agencies dominate AI narratives in Africa, pushing perspectives that ignore local realities and silence African voices.
Without critical AI literacy, according to her, reporting misses vital issues like:
▪Ethics and bias in AI systems;
▪Data extraction from African communities;
▪The hidden environmental cost—like water and energy use by servers.
"If we as Africans are not driving this narrative about AI, who is for us? […]Western views can overshadow local concerns and priorities," the speaker emphasized.
The professor pointed to Masakhane—a grassroots, open-source initiative using African-language journalism to build locally relevant AI—as a model for how media and technology can work together on African terms.
Watch the video to discover how the initiative is redefining AI "for Africans, by Africans."
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