Understanding Artificial Intelligence has never been more crucial than in the age of algorithms and robots. News media stands as a vital bridge to achieving this, translating the complexities of AI for the public, shaping societal perceptions, and ultimately influencing how society interacts with these technologies.
This is because news media, encompassing traditional outlets like newspapers and television, as well as online platforms and social media, directly reaches a vast and diverse audience, making it a primary source of information for many people, particularly those who have not actively sought more knowledge about AI elsewhere.
Further, the various news media narrative frames of AI present these technologies through specific lenses, emphasising certain aspects over others, a feature that shapes how the public perceives AI. But there's a catch: AI isn't evenly spread among newsrooms, especially between richer and poorer countries.
In the African context, where unique socio-economic dynamics and historical encounters with technology further complicate the narrative, Professor of Media Industries at the University of Nottingham George Ogola argues that AI use varies regionally and across different media, with the most use cases in Kenya and South Africa.
Further, colonial exploitation and uneven technology transfer have shaped Africa’s relationship with technology differently than other continents. As part of the colonial legacy, Africa has struggled to keep pace with its global peers.
This is reflected in the challenges the region faces regarding adopting AI. In their research, London School of Economics Professor Charlie Beckett and Mira Yaseen, lead researcher and co-author of the JournalismAI 2023 report, intimated that, in general, some of the challenges Africa as a region faces include “knowledge gaps, resource constraints, language barriers, as well as infrastructural, legal, and political challenges.”
This context can lead to specific concerns and perspectives around AI that need to be considered and represented in news narratives. Failing to acknowledge these historical and persisting contemporary factors can lead to misinterpretations of AI’s potential in Africa.
I led a study by a group of media studies researchers from the University of the Western Cape, the University of Cape Town (Associate Professor Musawenkosi Ndlovu and Professor Tanja Bosch) and Birmingham City University in the UK (Dr Trust Matsilele) to explore how African online news publications reflect and perpetuate potential biases in their reportage on Artificial Intelligence.
Using a content analysis of over 700 online news articles from 26 Anglophone African countries, the question the study explores is, “How does the reportage on AI in African online news publications reflect and potentially perpetuate biases?”
I recently presented the study findings at the inaugural AI and Law International Interdisciplinary conference in Africa, hosted by the UCT Law Faculty, where I argued that news media, as the dominant narrator of and about AI, wield significant power in moulding public opinion, thereby shaping the trajectory of AI's societal integration, including in aspects such as law.
The view advanced is that AI is not just a technological advancement; it's a legal and cultural battleground where the weapons of war are words.
The hypothesis is that news reports on AI are not neutral observers but active participants in constructing our understanding of this technology through how they communicate and represent these technologies and, in so doing, shape our understanding of the legal implications they present.
The first aspect the study assessed was who writes about AI in African online news publications. It was found that African journalists, news entities, and content creators actively engage with the topic, composing nearly a third of the articles analysed.
Authors/entities who write about AI in African online news publications
This suggests a strong local interest in AI and a growing awareness of its implications within African societies. However, there is a significant presence of Western-based news entities (21%) and journalists (5%), indicating a considerable influence of Western perspectives in shaping the news narrative around AI in Africa raising questions about the potential for Western-centric biases to overshadow or marginalise African viewpoints and concerns.
The study also looked at the most frequently used words in online news reports about AI. The word frequency analysis highlights several key themes and potential biases in the discourse surrounding AI in African news media.
The prominence of words like “technology,” “data,” “new,” and “development” demonstrates the dominant focus on the technical aspects and potential benefits of AI.
The prominence of “company” and “business” highlights the economic focus of AI coverage, potentially overshadowing other vital dimensions such as social impact, cultural relevance, and ethical considerations.
The most frequently used words in online news reports about AI
The frequent mention of “Google” and “ChatGPT” reflects the dominance of Western tech giants on the AI landscape, potentially reinforcing a Western-centric narrative and overlooking the contributions of African innovators and researchers.
The emphasis on words that allude to the novelty and progress associated with AI can be seen as a form of symbolic action that fosters a sense of excitement and urgency around AI adoption, aligning with the interests of powerful tech industry actors who benefit from widespread AI implementation. However, this focus on the positive aspects of AI may also filter out or downplay potential risks and challenges.
The prominence of terms like “tools” and “solutions” in the discourse emphasises AI’s practical applications and problem-solving capabilities, aligning with the broader global trend of viewing AI as a means to an end, a tool to enhance efficiency, productivity, and innovation. However, this utilitarian lens often overlooks the broader societal implications of AI, such as its impact on employment, inequality, and cultural values.
Frequent use of “ChatGPT” signals a growing interest in AI's creative and communicative potential. This fascination with AI’s ability to generate text, images, and other forms of content highlights these technologies’ perceived novelty and transformative power. However, this focus also raises concerns about the potential for misinformation, manipulation, and the erosion of trust in information sources.
The limited presence of terms like “Africa,” “African,” and mention of specific Africa countries in the reports raises concerns about the contextualisation and localisation of the narrative.
The scarcity of these terms suggests that the coverage may not be adequately tailored to the specific needs, challenges, and opportunities African societies face.
While AI is a global phenomenon, its implications and applications vary significantly across regions and contexts. The limited presence of a ‘uniquely African’ story further perpetuates the inequalities already dominant, in part as a result of the colonial legacy.
The absence of localisation reduces Africans to ‘mere consumers’ of Western and global technology products and, by extension, denies them agency and contextual nuances for a continent with 54 countries.
For instance, discussions about AI-driven automation may not fully consider African countries’ unique labour market dynamics, where informal employment is prevalent.
Similarly, conversations about AI ethics may not adequately address the cultural and social values that shape how AI is perceived and used in different African communities.
The underrepresentation of terms related to ethics could also indicate a missed opportunity to highlight the contributions and innovations of African researchers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers in AI. By focusing on global trends and perspectives, the coverage may inadvertently perpetuate the notion that AI is primarily a Western-driven phenomenon, overlooking Africa’s vibrant and growing AI ecosystem.
These findings show that the media’s portrayal of AI in Africa reinforces a narrative of technological progress that neglects local concerns and diverse perspectives.
The analysis reveals a clear bias in how AI is portrayed in the media, mirroring the longstanding colonial legacies where technological developments are framed as either progressive or exploitative without acknowledging the agency of indigenous communities.
This limits our understanding of AI’s potential impact and risks further marginalisation in the ongoing conversation about technology’s role in society.
Challenging these biases and amplifying marginalised voices is imperative to ensure a more equitable and inclusive understanding of AI in Africa.
From a legal and regulatory perspective, how AI is presented in the media influences how legal frameworks around AI are developed in Africa. If reporting is biased, it may lead to laws and regulations that do not adequately address the potential risks and benefits of AI for African societies because of the centrality of the media in shaping opinions.
For example, the prevailing Western-centric views that prioritise AI's potential for formal economic growth could result in regulations that might not include adequate protections or support systems for those working in the informal sector, exacerbating existing inequalities and failing to address the unique economic realities of many African communities.
There is thus a need for critical engagement with how we talk about these technologies because that is central to how we appropriate them.
Sisanda Nkoala is an Associate Professor in the Linguistics Department at the University of the Western Cape
This is because news media, encompassing traditional outlets like newspapers and television, as well as online platforms and social media, directly reaches a vast and diverse audience, making it a primary source of information for many people, particularly those who have not actively sought more knowledge about AI elsewhere.
Further, the various news media narrative frames of AI present these technologies through specific lenses, emphasising certain aspects over others, a feature that shapes how the public perceives AI. But there's a catch: AI isn't evenly spread among newsrooms, especially between richer and poorer countries.
In the African context, where unique socio-economic dynamics and historical encounters with technology further complicate the narrative, Professor of Media Industries at the University of Nottingham George Ogola argues that AI use varies regionally and across different media, with the most use cases in Kenya and South Africa.
Further, colonial exploitation and uneven technology transfer have shaped Africa’s relationship with technology differently than other continents. As part of the colonial legacy, Africa has struggled to keep pace with its global peers.
This is reflected in the challenges the region faces regarding adopting AI. In their research, London School of Economics Professor Charlie Beckett and Mira Yaseen, lead researcher and co-author of the JournalismAI 2023 report, intimated that, in general, some of the challenges Africa as a region faces include “knowledge gaps, resource constraints, language barriers, as well as infrastructural, legal, and political challenges.”
This context can lead to specific concerns and perspectives around AI that need to be considered and represented in news narratives. Failing to acknowledge these historical and persisting contemporary factors can lead to misinterpretations of AI’s potential in Africa.
I led a study by a group of media studies researchers from the University of the Western Cape, the University of Cape Town (Associate Professor Musawenkosi Ndlovu and Professor Tanja Bosch) and Birmingham City University in the UK (Dr Trust Matsilele) to explore how African online news publications reflect and perpetuate potential biases in their reportage on Artificial Intelligence.
Using a content analysis of over 700 online news articles from 26 Anglophone African countries, the question the study explores is, “How does the reportage on AI in African online news publications reflect and potentially perpetuate biases?”
I recently presented the study findings at the inaugural AI and Law International Interdisciplinary conference in Africa, hosted by the UCT Law Faculty, where I argued that news media, as the dominant narrator of and about AI, wield significant power in moulding public opinion, thereby shaping the trajectory of AI's societal integration, including in aspects such as law.
The view advanced is that AI is not just a technological advancement; it's a legal and cultural battleground where the weapons of war are words.
The hypothesis is that news reports on AI are not neutral observers but active participants in constructing our understanding of this technology through how they communicate and represent these technologies and, in so doing, shape our understanding of the legal implications they present.
The first aspect the study assessed was who writes about AI in African online news publications. It was found that African journalists, news entities, and content creators actively engage with the topic, composing nearly a third of the articles analysed.
Authors/entities who write about AI in African online news publicationsThe study also looked at the most frequently used words in online news reports about AI. The word frequency analysis highlights several key themes and potential biases in the discourse surrounding AI in African news media.
The prominence of words like “technology,” “data,” “new,” and “development” demonstrates the dominant focus on the technical aspects and potential benefits of AI.
The prominence of “company” and “business” highlights the economic focus of AI coverage, potentially overshadowing other vital dimensions such as social impact, cultural relevance, and ethical considerations.
The most frequently used words in online news reports about AIThe emphasis on words that allude to the novelty and progress associated with AI can be seen as a form of symbolic action that fosters a sense of excitement and urgency around AI adoption, aligning with the interests of powerful tech industry actors who benefit from widespread AI implementation. However, this focus on the positive aspects of AI may also filter out or downplay potential risks and challenges.
The prominence of terms like “tools” and “solutions” in the discourse emphasises AI’s practical applications and problem-solving capabilities, aligning with the broader global trend of viewing AI as a means to an end, a tool to enhance efficiency, productivity, and innovation. However, this utilitarian lens often overlooks the broader societal implications of AI, such as its impact on employment, inequality, and cultural values.
Frequent use of “ChatGPT” signals a growing interest in AI's creative and communicative potential. This fascination with AI’s ability to generate text, images, and other forms of content highlights these technologies’ perceived novelty and transformative power. However, this focus also raises concerns about the potential for misinformation, manipulation, and the erosion of trust in information sources.
The limited presence of terms like “Africa,” “African,” and mention of specific Africa countries in the reports raises concerns about the contextualisation and localisation of the narrative.
The scarcity of these terms suggests that the coverage may not be adequately tailored to the specific needs, challenges, and opportunities African societies face.
While AI is a global phenomenon, its implications and applications vary significantly across regions and contexts. The limited presence of a ‘uniquely African’ story further perpetuates the inequalities already dominant, in part as a result of the colonial legacy.
The absence of localisation reduces Africans to ‘mere consumers’ of Western and global technology products and, by extension, denies them agency and contextual nuances for a continent with 54 countries.
For instance, discussions about AI-driven automation may not fully consider African countries’ unique labour market dynamics, where informal employment is prevalent.
Similarly, conversations about AI ethics may not adequately address the cultural and social values that shape how AI is perceived and used in different African communities.
The underrepresentation of terms related to ethics could also indicate a missed opportunity to highlight the contributions and innovations of African researchers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers in AI. By focusing on global trends and perspectives, the coverage may inadvertently perpetuate the notion that AI is primarily a Western-driven phenomenon, overlooking Africa’s vibrant and growing AI ecosystem.
These findings show that the media’s portrayal of AI in Africa reinforces a narrative of technological progress that neglects local concerns and diverse perspectives.
The analysis reveals a clear bias in how AI is portrayed in the media, mirroring the longstanding colonial legacies where technological developments are framed as either progressive or exploitative without acknowledging the agency of indigenous communities.
This limits our understanding of AI’s potential impact and risks further marginalisation in the ongoing conversation about technology’s role in society.
Challenging these biases and amplifying marginalised voices is imperative to ensure a more equitable and inclusive understanding of AI in Africa.
From a legal and regulatory perspective, how AI is presented in the media influences how legal frameworks around AI are developed in Africa. If reporting is biased, it may lead to laws and regulations that do not adequately address the potential risks and benefits of AI for African societies because of the centrality of the media in shaping opinions.
For example, the prevailing Western-centric views that prioritise AI's potential for formal economic growth could result in regulations that might not include adequate protections or support systems for those working in the informal sector, exacerbating existing inequalities and failing to address the unique economic realities of many African communities.
There is thus a need for critical engagement with how we talk about these technologies because that is central to how we appropriate them.
Sisanda Nkoala is an Associate Professor in the Linguistics Department at the University of the Western Cape
