ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) ON JOURNALISM PRACTICE IN UYO

This study examined "Assessment of the implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Journalism practice in Uyo. The objectives of the study were: to find out the extent journalists in Uyo are aware of Artificial Intelligence in news reporting; to find out the extent journalists in Uyo make use of Artificial Intelligence in news reporting, to determine the benefits of Artificial Intelligence on journalism practice in Uyo and to ascertain the implications of Artificial Intelligence on journalism practice in Uyo. A survey research technique was considered appropriate for this study, the instrument for data collection was the questionnaire. A sample size of 240 was selected through the cluster sampling technique. Findings reveal that: Journalists in Uyo are aware of Artificial Intelligence in news reporting and the extent of their awareness is large, it was also revealed that Artificial Intelligence has changed news production routines and narratives among journalists, impacts the retrieval, storage, conception, transmission and consumption of information and also create fear that newsroom managers might look at Al as a way to cut operating costs and work with fewer journalists. It was concluded that newsrooms in the state are catching up with their counterparts in other parts of the world by deploying Al to enhance their news processes: from news gathering to content packaging and distribution. It was recommended that Media organisations in Akwa Ibom State should organize workshops, seminars and conferences to enlighten journalists on the use and importance of artificial intelligence in news writing: Journalists should create awareness on the benefits of Al in journalism Such awareness might capture the interest of the government and make them invest on Al in different areas.