South Africa, July 16 -- While it offers the potential to democratise access to innovative tools and reduce production costs (including those that assist in scriptwriting, editing, visual effects, and distribution), it also raises urgent questions about ownership, job displacement, loss of artistic originality, authenticity, and cultural preservation.

In the creative ecosystem, which is rich in tradition, diverse cultures, and emerging talent, the question is not whether AI will shape African storytelling, but how it will, and who gets to decide.

Urgent dialogue

We need an urgent dialogue that will include the actors, content creators, advertisers, broadcasters, tech companies, and government policy makers to provide insight on how the...