AI Won’t Replace Journalism, But It Will Transform It – INMA CEO

The Chief Executive Officer of the International News Media Association (INMA), Earl Wilkinson, has said that trust, brand identity, and strong audience relationships will determine which media organisations thrive as artificial intelligence continues to reshape the global information landscape. Wilkinson made the remarks during a visit to PUNCH Place along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Wednesday, where he delivered a presentation on the growing influence of AI on journalism, news consumption, and media business models. Accompanied by INMA's Africa Division Manager, Doreen Mbaya, Wilkinson argued that media organisations can no longer rely solely on audience reach or website traffic to remain competitive. Instead, he said publishers must focus on building memorable brands that audiences trust and identify with. According to him, the future belongs to media organisations that develop clear identities and maintain strong emotional connections with their readers. "It is now about relationships," Wilkinson said. "People need a reason to remember your brand. Consistency, credibility, and trust matter more than ever. The decade ahead will belong to organisations that know exactly who they are and communicate that identity clearly." He noted that developing direct relationships with audiences may require a greater acceptance of subscription-based news models and digital paywalls, although he acknowledged that convincing many Nigerians to pay for online news remains a significant challenge. Wilkinson urged publishers to invest more heavily in audience data and analytics to better understand readers' interests, habits, and expectations. "If you don't understand your audience, you will struggle," he said, adding that the competition for trust and attention in Nigeria mirrors similar challenges facing media organisations across Europe and North America.

The media executive also warned that the increasing use of artificial intelligence across newsrooms could create what he described as a "swamp of sameness," where publishers produce increasingly similar content using identical AI tools. To avoid blending into a sea of generic information, he advised media organisations to prioritise original reporting, distinctive editorial voices, and strong brand positioning. "AI is rising, and many publishers risk becoming indistinguishable from one another," Wilkinson said. "The solution is differentiation. Media organisations must continuously find ways to stand apart." He observed that many of the traditional advantages once enjoyed by news organisations have already been eroded by digital disruption. "Google transformed advertising. Social media changed distribution. Anyone with a smartphone can now publish content. The competitive landscape has completely changed," he explained. Wilkinson noted that distinctions between newspapers, television stations, radio broadcasters, and digital platforms are becoming increasingly blurred as all compete for the same audience across multiple formats. "We are moving toward a content ecosystem where text, video, and audio coexist seamlessly," he said. Despite AI's growing capabilities, Wilkinson maintained that technology cannot replace the core functions of journalism, particularly firsthand reporting and human judgment. "Someone still has to go somewhere, witness events, speak to sources, and verify information. AI cannot replace that experience," he said. He cited projections suggesting that machine-generated content will dominate the internet in the coming years. According to Wilkinson, while approximately 95 per cent of online content was created by humans in 2010, that figure has fallen dramatically and could decline even further over the next decade. He predicted that by 2036, human-written content could account for less than one per cent of material published online. As a result, he believes verified human journalism will become increasingly valuable. "The scarcity of authentic, human-created content will create new opportunities," he said. "Verified human journalism could become a premium category that audiences and advertisers are willing to pay more for." Wilkinson argued that in an era flooded with synthetic content, qualities such as original reporting, source development, editorial judgment, and verifiable authorship will become key differentiators for successful news organisations. He suggested that audiences may increasingly shift from asking whether information is true to questioning who created it and whether its origins can be verified. At the same time, Wilkinson urged media leaders not to view artificial intelligence solely as a threat. He described AI as a powerful tool capable of improving newsroom productivity, streamlining workflows, and enhancing content creation processes when used responsibly. "There is tremendous upside to AI," he said. "The technology can accomplish tasks at a scale and speed that humans simply cannot. The challenge is learning how to use it effectively while preserving journalistic integrity." Ultimately, Wilkinson believes that trust and brand identity will remain the most valuable assets available to media organisations. "No platform, no competitor, and no AI system can replace a strong brand that audiences trust," he said. "Brand identity may be the last true competitive advantage in the AI era." Reflecting on the African media landscape, Wilkinson observed that many news organisations remain heavily dependent on government advertising and are therefore vulnerable to political and economic instability. He also predicted that print newspapers may continue reducing publication frequency as digital transformation accelerates. Analyzing Nigerian newspaper front pages, he described them as vibrant, politically focused, and highly competitive, noting similarities with media environments in countries such as India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Kenya, Brazil, and the Philippines. He concluded by urging African media organisations to embrace innovation and adapt to a future in which traditional media boundaries continue to disappear. According to him, the next decade will be defined not by technology alone, but by the ability of media brands to maintain trust, authenticity, and meaningful connections with their audiences.

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