Ms. Agnieszka de Torres Oliveira, the Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union delegation to Nigeria, has expressed concern over the increasingly dominant role of artificial intelligence and social media in the information space.
de Torres Oliveira said the tools have aided manipulation, misinformation and outright disinformation.
She, therefore, said that understanding AI is the first step to containing misformation and disinformation.
de Torres Oliveira, who spoke at an AI training programme for Diplomatic reporters in Abuja, stressed that the threat and possibilities that AI offer can no longer be ignored.
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She: “At no time has fact-checking become as important in information management as it today, given the manipulation, misinformation and outright disinformation made possible by AI and the social media.
“Understanding how these new media work will be the first step in stemming these harmful effects and safeguarding the integrity of the information environment
“The social media has further expanded the frontiers of free speech by amplifying the voice the citizenry more than ever before. Also the social media enables citizen engagement, providing them with a platform to express their views and stimulate important debates about issues that affect them
She added: “Media is an enabler of free and open debates. These all resonate with the values of the European Union, which is the leading promoter of democracy and human rights within and outside its borders.
“The EU promotes freedom of expression, both online and offline, because it is the bedrock of democracy in practice.
“Therefore, training journalists to be more effective in the great work they do will also strengthen democracy and make the society better.”