Google Empowers Journalists with AI Tools Through News Initiative

Google, through its News Initiative (GNI), organised an Artificial Intelligence (AI) workshop on Friday in Lagos to enhance journalists’ storytelling, improve production, and equip them with cutting-edge technological skills.

The initiative underscores Google’s ongoing commitment to supporting the media industry in navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by AI.

Speaking at the event in Lagos, Google’s Communication and Public Affairs Manager for West Africa, Mr Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, reaffirmed the company’s mission of “Organising the world’s information and making it universally accessible and useful.”

Kola-Ogunlade stated that this commitment extended to the news industry, where Google aims to “Advance quality journalism, strengthen publisher business models, and cultivate a collaborative global news community.”

He emphasised that hosting the training in Nigeria at this time demonstrated Google’s focus on expanding AI resources to more regions and languages, ensuring that journalists and news organisations worldwide can leverage AI to enhance their work.

“Through initiatives like AI training workshops, we provide journalists and creators with tools such as Gemini, Pinpoint, and NotebookLM to enhance research, fact-checking, and content creation.

“We strive to responsibly engage users with new AI experiences, give publishers control over their content, and fight misinformation together, ensuring AI is helpful for everyone.

“This training in Nigeria is part of the Google News Initiative, designed to equip journalists and creators with AI tools for news,” he said.

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Kola-Ogunlade noted that the initiative reflected Google’s commitment to responsibly integrating AI, ensuring that publishers retain control over their content while combating misinformation.

Participants at the training described the workshop as timely and impactful.

Adebola Adegoke, a participant from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the training was “insightful and informative,” adding that it would significantly enhance her storytelling skills and newsroom production.

Another participant, who preferred to remain anonymous, remarked that those who fail to leverage such AI training opportunities risk being replaced by those who are informed and trained in AI applications.

The training, conducted in partnership with GomyCode, provided participants with access to AI-powered tools such as Gemini, Fact Check Explorer, Pinpoint, and NotebookLM.

The workshop enabled attendees to search, fact-check, and analyse large collections of documents, as well as summarise information more efficiently.