Senior management and staff of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) have started a one-week training aimed at enhancing and strengthening their capacity in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in production.

The national broadcaster's Director General, Stanley Similo, said this is an important intervention for radio, TV, and online broadcasting.

A group of just over 20 employees of the national broadcaster is attending the AI training facilitated by Deutsche Welle (DW) at the Namibia Institute of Public Management (NIPAM) with AI experts from South Africa and Germany.

Speaking at the official opening of the training, Similo noted that AI has become a reality that the media industry cannot ignore, and he emphasised that its impact depends on how responsibly it is used. 

"So, in whatever you do when applying AI, always check its effects. Does it really give you what you would want, particularly from a news perspective? Because that story must still carry the credibility that it has. So you as the individual will always be the overriding aspect within it. Of course, in terms of tools, systems and all of those, there are many. And I think your trainers will be able to share with you the plethora of these at your disposal."

Similo further emphasised that AI has a number of benefits, as it removes sloppiness from work and boosts efficiency.

He, however, added that human intervention is still needed.

NIPAM's Executive Director, Dr. Heroldt Murangi, said discussions have already started with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, and a memorandum of understanding to train civil servants on AI is expected to be signed soon.

NBC's Chief of News and Programming, Menesia Muinjo, highlighted the importance of the national broadcasters' supervisors at different levels being knowledgeable on AI and serving as mentors.

The one-week training course focuses on strategy, tools and ethics in the world of artificial intelligence.