Journalists have been urged to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) as a powerful newsroom tool while safeguarding ethics, linguistic diversity, and the public's right to information.
The call was made during a Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) capacity-building workshop on the application of AI, the use of local languages in journalism, and the Freedom of Information Act, held recently in Kadoma.
ZMC media development and governance official Nyaradzo Makombe said technology should strengthen, not replace, the core values of journalism.
“Media practitioners need to keep human judgment and ethics when handling AI,” Makombe said. “The role of the media is to be a verifier and trusted guide in an environment flooded with content. AI can help create and verify information faster, but only if human judgment and ethics remain at the centre.”
Facilitators Tabani Moyo and Conrad Mwanawashe highlighted the growing role of AI in transcribing interviews, analysing large datasets, personalising content, and generating story drafts. However, they cautioned that speed should never come at the expense of accuracy, accountability, and editorial oversight.
“AI is a tool, not an editor,” Mwanawashe said. “If we deploy it without ethical safeguards, we risk amplifying bias, spreading disinformation, and eroding public trust.”
Participants discussed the need for media houses to adopt clear AI policies, including verifying AI-generated content, disclosing the use of AI where appropriate, protecting source data, and ensuring algorithms do not reinforce discrimination.
Such policies, delegates said, should align with the constitution, the Freedom of Information Act, and international journalism standards.
The workshop also focused on language inclusion, with speakers noting that while Zimbabwe has 16 official languages, most AI models are trained primarily in English and a handful of global languages. Journalists were encouraged to champion the development of AI tools that support Shona, Ndebele, Tonga, Kalanga, and other local languages through innovations such as speech-to-text services, translation platforms, and community-focused chatbots.
“If AI only speaks English, it will only serve the elite,” Mwanawashe said. “For journalism to remain a public service, our AI must speak the languages of the people”.
Moyo also led discussions on the Freedom of Information Act, highlighting how AI can help journalists analyse large volumes of public records while raising new questions about transparency in automated government decision-making. Participants were encouraged to use FOI requests not only to access official documents but also to seek information on how public institutions use algorithms that affect citizens.
“The right to information must extend to the right to understand how decisions about us are made,” Moyo said.