Puseletso Putsoa
THE broadcasting sector has been urged to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) responsibly while safeguarding journalistic ethics.
The call was made during Friday’s commemoration of World Radio Day, organised by the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Lesotho chapter in collaboration with UNESCO, at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT).
Held under the theme “Radio and Artificial Intelligence”, the event brought together regulators, broadcasters, academics and students to reflect on how emerging technologies are reshaping radio in Lesotho.
Broadcasting Media Development Agency (BMDA) deputy chairperson, Itumeleng Ntleba, said radio remains the most accessible medium in Lesotho, serving both rural and urban communities.
“Radio is the most accessible broadcasting tool in Lesotho. With the use of AI, it continues to promote dialogue and give voice to the voiceless. However, AI should not leave rural communities behind, as they are the primary consumers of radio,” Ms Ntleba said.
The executive producer of Mohale FM, Sebolelo Rathebe, described the relationship between AI and broadcasting as promising and transformative.
“The future between AI and broadcasting is bright. When I was fresh from school, I believed AI would negatively affect our jobs. But I later realised that we, as the youth, are living in the best of times, where information is at the tip of our fingers,” Ms Rathebe said.
She explained that in a news and current affairs radio environment, AI has improved efficiency by enabling journalists to draft and polish stories on-site using their devices, without necessarily returning to the office. She emphasised that broadcasters feed AI with verified information to refine and structure their work, rather than relying on it to independently generate facts.
Ms Rathebe added that while AI assists in polishing scripts and refining recorded adverts by enhancing voice quality, human verification remains critical, as AI is not physically present at events and can produce errors if supplied with inaccurate data.
The Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) representative, Advocate Thato Seheri, highlighted AI’s role in translation and copyright management within journalism, but stressed that broadcasters must verify all information before airing it. She cautioned against attributing misinformation to AI.
The MISA Lesotho acting director, Nicole Tau, warned media practitioners against sharing sensitive personal data with AI platforms, noting that information entered into such systems may be accessed by third parties.
She called for proactive AI policies in Lesotho’s radio sector and proper training for broadcasters, while acknowledging ongoing efforts by local programmers to develop Sesotho-language AI tools.
Limkokwing University lecturer, Mamello Mosaefane, said responsible AI use must be taught in classrooms to ensure students can distinguish between helpful technological assistance and adherence to journalistic ethics.
The LUCT broadcasting student, Sechaba Tšiunyane, reflected on radio’s significance in remote areas such as Qacha’s Nek, saying it informs, educates and preserves Basotho culture through storytelling, while AI should serve as a complementary tool rather than a replacement for human voices.
In her closing remarks, BMDA chairperson, Mamello Mochesane, reaffirmed radio’s continued relevance, describing it as a powerful and accessible platform capable of reaching communities beyond the reach of other media.