Australia’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Berenice Owen-Jones, has raised pressing concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on journalism, warning that while the technology offers opportunities, it also presents serious threats to press freedom and public trust.
Speaking at the 2025 World Press Freedom Day commemoration in Accra—organised by Afrimass Network in partnership with BlueCrest College—the High Commissioner delivered a clear message: AI must be handled with care if journalism is to thrive in a digital era.
“Media freedom is diminishing in a record number of countries,” she said, referencing the latest findings from the World Press Freedom Index. “Disinformation, propaganda, and artificial intelligence pose mounting threats to journalism.”
According to Owen-Jones, AI is rapidly changing how news is produced and consumed. On the one hand, it allows journalists to work more efficiently through automated transcription, data analysis, and summarization tools. On the other, it is being weaponized to spread falsehoods, create deepfake content, and suppress dissenting voices.
“AI can be used to spread false or misleading information, increase online hate speech, and support new types of censorship,” she noted, warning that such misuse undermines democratic institutions and further endangers journalists already working under pressure.
The High Commissioner stressed the need for the global media ecosystem to respond proactively. She called for the establishment of newsroom-level codes of conduct for AI use and greater investment in fact-checking and media literacy programmes.
“Newsrooms are increasingly fact-checking and developing codes of conduct—this is to be encouraged,” she said. “Embassies and high commissions, including Australia’s, have a role to play in supporting such initiatives.”
Owen-Jones also highlighted AI’s role in enabling surveillance and endangering journalists, particularly those covering corruption, human rights abuses, and other sensitive issues. She warned that some AI-powered tools are being used as spyware to track journalists’ locations and communications, exposing them to threats of harassment or arrest.
“Access to reliable information has become increasingly important in the age of digitization, fake news, and disinformation campaigns,” she said. “We must ensure AI strengthens, rather than weakens, press freedom.”
The theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day centered on the influence of AI in shaping the future of media. Owen-Jones’s remarks echoed a growing global consensus that while AI holds promise, its ethical deployment will be essential to preserving the role of free and independent journalism in democratic societies.
She concluded by urging collaboration among governments, media organisations, civil society, and technology developers to guide AI’s integration into journalism responsibly.
“The future of journalism will not be determined by AI itself,” she said, “but by the choices we make in how we use it.”
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