The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has concluded plans to launch two innovative digital tools designed to improve the efficiency and accuracy of fact-checking.
The tools, namely the DUBAWA Audio Platform and Chatbot, come at a critical time when misinformation continues to spread rapidly as more users gain access to the internet, especially in Africa.
The launching is part of a two-day CJID Journalism, Digital Tech and AI Dialogue conference holding in Abuja which will bring together journalists, media professionals, tech experts, and civil society organizations.
At the conference, CJID, through its fact-checking platform DUBAWA, will unveil the tools aimed at empowering journalists, researchers, and the general public to combat misinformation and access reliable information. The development of these tools was made possible with the support of the Google News Initiative, a statement from the CJID noted.
DUBAWA Audio is an AI-powered tool deployed to facilitate the claim-sourcing aspect of the fact-checking process. As such, this tool was carefully designed to automatically listen to your radio programmes, transcribe them and extract verifiable claims, saving journalists, researchers, fact-checkers and other users valuable time.
In addition, the DUBAWA Chatbot was built to provide answers to everyday questions regarding viral misinformation and disinformation in the information ecosystem. It is useful in reducing the spread of harmful and misleading content online, providing results and references on a range of topics from credible sources.
Speaking about these tools, CJID’s Innovation Lead, Monsur Hussain, said the Dubawa Audio is developed for journalists to stay on top of misleading claims being propagated to millions of people daily via Radio.
“Also, detecting and taking action against disinformation channeled through social messaging apps presents significant challenges. By making this chatbot available to users via a WhatsApp chat, we aim to fight misinformation spread on the platform,” he added.
The event, titled “Navigating digital disruption, leveraging the power of AI, and securing the vitality of the media,” will be held on May 27th and 28th, 2024.
“The conference aims to address the challenges and opportunities presented by rapid advancements in technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in the media landscape.
“Through keynote speeches, panel discussions, case studies, and interactive sessions, participants will explore strategies for navigating digital disruption, harnessing the power of AI for journalism, and ensuring a strong and vibrant media ecosystem.
“This event is particularly timely in Nigeria as the media struggles with the complexities of the digital age,” part of the statement read.
Amala is a tactical Fact-Checker, who is passionate about using Fact-checking to curb the spread of Misinformation and Disinformation which has become prevalent in the media space. She can be reached on X at muonweblessing and LinkedIn on Amala Blessing Muonwe
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