PMA runs workshop on Responsible AI & Public Media
25th July 2024
Our latest workshop focussed on how to best deploy AI tools while maintaining and respecting core public media values.
Media staff from across Southern Africa gathered at the headquarters of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in Johannesburg for PMA’s Responsible AI and Public Media workshop.
Led by Develop AI director and founder, Paul McNally, the two-day workshop explored the ethical and moral dilemmas posed by the rollout of AI in public media newsrooms, in both the challenges they pose to core PSM values and the opportunities to enhance them.
The event, held on 27 and 28 June, welcomed 27 media workers from GBC (Ghana), LNBS (Lesotho), NBC (Namibia), SABC (South Africa), and SBC (Seychelles). The participants represented a diverse range of experience and roles, including journalists, executives, producers, presenters, editors and social media managers, in an attempt to enhance interdepartmental understanding and disincentivise siloing.
The two-day workshop is part of PMA’s Global Grant scheme, which provides PMA members with the opportunity to travel to conduct a project, explore programme ideas, network, or learn new skills at another public media organisation overseas. The Global Grants scheme this year expanded to offer the Trainer Grant to facilitate specific training for members. PMA’s Global Grant scheme and the Trainer Grant are funded by the Grace Wyndham Goldie (BBC) Trust.
Responsible AI and Public Media
The course was designed and led by Paul McNally, an award-winning journalist and entrepreneur, and the founder of Develop AI & Develop Audio, with support from PMA’s CEO Kristian Porter.
The workshop touched on key issues like verification, provenance, third-party over-reliance and copyright, and demonstrated key AI tools. A major issue raised by participants was the inherent lack of representation and the so-called “western bias” of AI, especially regarding local, regional and minority languages.
“For me, teaching journalists how to use AI tools responsibly, to think about implementing AI policies and urging them to think about how technology can transform the media for them, and consumers is a true passion. To have the opportunity to reach important people at major broadcasters on the continent was a true privilege. And we believe that by equipping them with these skills we will have a hand in changing the media in Africa for the better.”
– Paul McNally – workshop lead and founder of Develop AI.
Day 1: AI Applications in Journalism
The first day of the workshop brought the world of AI into sharp focus. The participants were shown how to use important and emerging tools, and how to integrate these into their workflows while considering issues like quantity vs quality. The session equipped them with the technical knowledge and skills they needed to advance in journalism including the basics behind coding, prompt engineering, LLMs, and image generation.
Participants were invited to demonstrate how they used AI and were prepped in how to prepare for disinformation and its wider impact on democracy. As a group they considered issues such as provenance, how best to detect AI deep fakes and issues surrounding the emergence of voice cloning.
“The SABC is honoured to have been a partner and host for the successful delivery of the ‘Responsible AI in the Newsroom’ workshop. It has been an absolute pleasure working with the PMA on interactive sessions aimed at equipping members from different African public broadcasters with critical information and knowledge to collaborate on AI-related guidelines, based on the core values of public media service and journalism in a bid to future proof our organisations and newsrooms.”
– Mmoni Seapolelo Acting Group Executive for Corporate Affairs and Marketing.
Day 2: Integrating AI into the Newsroom
The second day focussed on how best to deploy AI into daily workflows. The group was navigated through how they could make their work and organisation better and faster with AI to improve their news product. As a group they explored the impacts and benefits of AI in video production, language translation, investigative journalism, and data visualisation.
Participants also expressed the need for collaboration, especially in developing stronger protections and safeguards for local, regional and minority languages and cultures. This resulted in the formation of a working group to collaborate on opportunities.
The course ended in the drafting of a living document for the participants the navigate the development of AI guidelines within their organisations with respect to core public media values, and how they can best use AI while maintaining the trust of their audiences.
The Public Media Alliance is hugely thankful to lead trainer Paul McNally, hosts SABC, and our Global Grant funders Grace Wyndham Goldie (BBC) Trust.
Participant Quotes:
“The workshop was enlightening, the only thing that is needed is implementing some of the strategies and ensure that we truly understand the importance on integrating AI tools responsibly in our newsrooms. Looking forward to further conversations for the success of the initiative that shapes and transforms the newsrooms. Thank you again for the opportunity.”
“The workshop was an eye-opener. It served as a learning platform with interactions by people from different cultures. I look forward to future opportunities and learn more.”
“Thank you for the opportunity to learn from you and Paul as well as interact with colleagues from other broadcasters on the use of AI in the newsrooms.”
“We truly appreciate for the fantastic workshop. It was indeed insightful and inspiring.”
“I just wanted to take a moment to thank Kristian and Paul for the fantastic workshop on AI! The insights and practical knowledge you shared were incredibly valuable and inspiring. Thanks again for your time and effort!”
Going forward:
The workshop culminated in the development of organisation specific documents. On the afternoon of 28 June, the group separated into organisations and developed draft code of conducts around AI in addition to producing an AI implementation strategy.
PMA and Develop AI will be launching a free-to-use living document to guide the development of value-driven AI policies and guidelines for media and broadcasting organisations.
The guide will include:
- Outlining PMA’s public service media (PSM) values.
- What to consider when producing a policy document for your news organisation.
- How can AI be a challenge to PSM values.
- How can AI be utilised as a solution to these challenges.
- What guideline could be adopted as a guiding principle that links AI and a particular value.
Project Partners
With funding from the Grace Wyndham Goldie (BBC) Trust
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