Effect of Artificial Intelligence on Media and Public Discourse in Africa: Democratic Information Crisis, Algorithmic Disinformation, and Media Resilience Governance
Emmanuel Usulor Nwogboji, Emmanuel Simon, Ogah Sunday Ogbo
This study examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping media and public discourse in Africa, with a focus on the spread of disinformation, the challenges facing local journalism, and the need for stronger governance. It adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining documentary analysis, comparative regulatory review, and data from organisations such as UNESCO, the Reuters Institute, Africa Check, the Mozilla Foundation, and Research ICT Africa, alongside reports from regulators in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, and Egypt. The study identifies six key areas of disruption. These include the use of AI to spread electoral disinformation, the rise of health misinformation, and the role of algorithms in amplifying ethnic and communal tensions. It also highlights AI-driven financial scams targeting mobile money users, the growing pressu