At the recent M20 Summit, held alongside the G20 programme in South Africa, Research ICT Africa’s Zara Schroeder opened the session on AI and News Media with a call to reframe how we think about artificial intelligence (AI) and journalism. Her intervention, based on the M20 Policy Brief 4: Power, Politics, and Economics – AI, Africa and the G20 co-authored with Scott Timcke, urged G20 leaders to recognise that AI is not only a technological challenge but also a political and economic one, with profound implications for democracy and media freedom.
Media integrity as democratic infrastructure
“Media integrity isn’t just about ethics; it’s about power, politics, and economic balance, especially now, as AI reshapes everything around us,” Schroeder reminded delegates. Echoing earlier assertions of journalism as a public good, she highlighted that independent media ecosystems are essential democratic infrastructure. They provide oversight that ensures AI is deployed in ways that strengthen, not weaken, public accountability. Without such oversight, AI risks accelerating disinformation, undermining journalism’s economic base, and consolidating the power of a handful of global tech firms.
Why the G20 should care
The policy brief identifies three core challenges that demand G20 attention:
- Power concentration and democratic oversight: A few tech giants dominate AI development, wielding immense influence without adequate accountability.
- Africa’s structural position in the AI economy: African workers often contribute low-wage labour to global AI systems, while African data, languages, and contexts remain underrepresented in AI models.
- Media capacity and coverage gaps: Journalism frequently treats AI as a “tech story” rather than a governance issue, leaving critical implications for democracy and development underexplored.
These dynamics reinforce dependencies that limit Africa’s agency over its own digital future.
Media under pressure
In South Africa, 84% of adults see digital technology as important for staying informed, and 46% believe AI could positively impact journalism. Journalists themselves are optimistic with 87% expressing confidence in new media technologies, yet the sector faces shrinking advertising revenues and increasing competition from platforms that control distribution and advertising markets. AI compounds this squeeze: tools that scrape content or redirect traffic reduce media viability, while disinformation campaigns – at least 39 documented across Africa since 2022 – erode public trust.
A rights-based approach to AI governance
Schroeder argued that AI governance must be anchored in rights, inclusion, and accountability. This means:
- Ensuring algorithmic transparency and impact assessments for public-sector AI.
- Supporting media viability through fair platform revenue-sharing, digital taxes, and independent funding streams for investigative journalism.
- Championing African languages and contexts in AI development.
- Protecting media freedom and embedding independent journalism in AI oversight frameworks.
As the brief concludes, reframing AI as a question of power and politics, rather than simply technology, shifts the conversation toward equity, sovereignty, and democratic resilience.
For Schroeder, the stakes are clear: “AI governance is about agency and accountability. Algorithms shape our stories, our food, our safety. If left unchecked, they undermine democracy. But there is hope. Whether confronting political authority or algorithmic systems, independent journalism stands as a critical balance of power, to ensure we build a society that doesn’t just work for a few — but serves us all.”
The G20, under South Africa’s presidency, has a historic opportunity to chart a path toward inclusive, media-integral AI governance. Ensuring that African voices, and African media, are not marginal but central to global AI debates will be critical to building an equitable digital future.
