AI, monetisation crisis threatens African media – Richard Ikiebe

African media organisations must urgently rethink their approach to artificial intelligence (AI), revenue generation and editorial practices to survive the changing media space, Richard Ikiebe, chairman of the board of directors of BusinessDay Media, has said.

He said this while speaking at the Pan-Atlantic University media roundtable webinar themed ‘The Future of African Media: AI, Monetisation, and Editorial Integrity,’ where he warned that the rapid rise of AI is creating new challenges for media organisations already struggling with technology disruption and declining revenues.

Ikiebe noted that AI is beginning to create a world where content creators risk losing their unique voices and identities as machines replicate human styles.

“AI is beginning to clone us to all look alike,” Ikiebe said, stressing that one of the biggest questions facing the industry is what has happened to the money that once sustained journalism.

He identified four major crisis points confronting African media which are technology shift, trust crisis, business model crisis, and capability crisis.

Ikiebe said the arrival of digital technology and social media has forced many media organisations into a survival mode, with some abandoning their original identities in an attempt to remain relevant and attract revenue.

“The media since the advent of social media has seen survival by surrender. Organisations, in the effort to be relevant, changed their colour to fit into the likeness of whoever will bring money,” he said.

He also noted that the credibility crisis affecting journalism is not simply a result of individual failures but a reflection of deeper structural challenges within the media economy.

BusinessDay’s chairman stated that traditional media houses no longer have the monopoly they once enjoyed, making it difficult for many organisations to adjust to the new realities of digital platforms.

He described the transition as ‘a painful shift from an old order to a new order,’ adding that AI has improved the disruption because technological development is moving faster than media organisations ability to adapt.

“AI is coming at a fast rate, but development has outpaced our ability to catch up. Adoption is shallow and often imitative,” he said.

Ikiebe argued that the challenge is not that AI is failing in Africa but that African media organisations are struggling to absorb and apply the technology effectively. “AI is not failing in Africa, but African media is failing to absorb itself into AI intelligently.”

While speaking about monetisation, he said the revenue challenge facing African media is part of a global crisis rather than a problem unique to the continent.

“The business model that sustained journalism for many years is gone, but we have not moved to work with what the new environment is dictating,” he said.

“Many outlets sell attention without building loyalty,” he said, noting that many media organisations have focused on attracting attention rather than building loyal audiences willing to pay for quality journalism.

Ikiebe urged African media companies to adopt audience-focused strategies, use AI as a tool for newsroom efficiency and revenue development, and explore models such as subscriptions and premium content.

He encouraged media organisations to move away from producing only content and begin thinking like product developers.

“We need to move from content output to product thinking, from one revenue stream to multiple streams,” he said.

According to him, African media can become financially sustainable if organisations build the right revenue structures and understand what their audiences truly value.

“If there is a right architecture, money will be there. We should know what our specific audience values, trusts and needs, and let them pay for it,” he said.

Ikiebe also warned against excessive imitation among media outlets, saying many organisations have lost the distinct qualities that once separated them from competitors. “Outlets now copy each other and have removed what made them distinct.”

While acknowledging AI’s potential benefits, he noted that human judgement must remain central to journalism.

“We should not let AI completely replace human beings. Human editorial oversight is needed,” he said.

Ikiebe noted that African media must avoid becoming a copy of global models and instead focus on originality, stronger journalism and responsible use of technology.

“African media does not need to be a copy of global media. They should be more original, not imitative. Strong journalism properly organised can use AI to become stronger, deeper and more sustainable,” he stated.