The Broadcasters Guild of Nigeria (BGN) has expressed deep concern over the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) in the media industry.
Gatekeepers News reports that this follows the circulation of a viral video depicting deceased global entertainers such as Michael Jackson, Tupac Shakur, and The Notorious B.I.G. appearing alive.
In a statement shared through its official platform, the Guild noted that the video which was created through advanced AI technology, demonstrates how digital tools can convincingly recreate lifelike images of late celebrities, blurring the line between reality and fabrication.
It said, “Nearly all the characters in the above video are late. But with a rigorous application of Artificial Intelligence, the deceased entertainers therein have been brought back to life in such a way to not even feel that they are yet to depart our earthly realm.”
The Guild cautioned that such technological capabilities could mislead audiences into believing that long-deceased entertainers are still alive and active, adding that AI has introduced several major controversies into broadcasting, primarily by challenging the industry’s core principles of trust, accuracy, and creative integrity.
It identified three major areas of concern — the threat to credibility, misinformation, and impersonation. According to GNB, AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic media can produce hyper-realistic videos and audio of public figures saying or doing things they never did, posing a serious threat to public trust in broadcast content.
The Guild also warned about AI hallucinations, instances where AI systems generate false or misleading information, stressing that unverified AI-generated content could damage the reputation and legal standing of broadcasters.
BNG further highlighted the risk of impersonation, where malicious actors could use AI to create fake news outlets or clone real journalists to spread disinformation.
The statement added, “There is still much to write to properly put the video/audio in question in context. But let me just leave it here for now, believing majority of us can now come to terms with the contextual situation of AI in our modern-day broadcasting.”
The Guild concluded by acknowledging the benefits of AI in modern broadcasting but urged practitioners to exercise restraint and professional ethics.
It said, “In summary, good and useful as AI is to broadcasting, the strong tendencies for controversy therein call for caution on our part as professionals. Lest we remove credibility in how we are esteemed by our publics.”
