JUBA—The South Sudan Media Authority on Tuesday announced approval of the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in newsrooms, paving the way for media houses to integrate emerging technologies into their journalistic operations.
The decision was announced during a media engagement in Juba organised by the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) in partnership with Norwegian People’s Aid.
Speaking at a media breakfast on Tuesday, Sapana Abuyi, Director General for Information and Media Compliance of the Media Authority, called on media houses to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance efficiency and accuracy in news reporting.
“As the media authority, we have already given a green light to go ahead with AI to be used in our media. It’s not forbidden. So people should not fear how to use it,” Abuyi said.
He urged media houses to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) responsibly as the technology becomes increasingly integrated into modern news production and media operations.
“What we have been saying all along is to use it responsibly, because it comes with responsibility. And as news generators or content generators, you know there is always a responsibility,” he said.
He said South Sudan’s media sector should not be left behind in embracing technological innovation.
“Connect what you say or what you disseminate. So that is our advice, and I repeat it here: that’s how we use AI. Use it meaningfully. Though we are said to be still behind in the discussion, the ideas, the views, and the understanding that you have, so that you are already ahead of all these things,” he said.
Abuyi emphasised the need to equip journalists with the skills to responsibly leverage AI while ensuring that editorial judgment remains central to news reporting.
“So nobody should say that the journalists or the people of South Sudan do not understand the use of artificial intelligence. We know it is only the technology that is not yet an enabler to reach that level. But we are already there with the rest of the world.”
He encouraged journalists to verify AI-generated information before publication and to clearly distinguish between human-produced and machine-assisted content where necessary.
“I encourage you all to take your time, understand the use of artificial intelligence, and how to manipulate it. More importantly, to check the background, because what normally goes with the content that is developed online,” he said.
“You have to check the background, and you should know that mechanism and that scheme so that you are able to enter something that was generated online.”
emphasizing that it should be viewed as a tool to enhance journalism rather than a threat to the profession.
“Then you will be able to tell whether it is human-generated or machine-generated. And then with that, there is no problem. And we have to make it clear that AI does not come to replace journalism; it does not come to take away journalism from the newsroom.”
