ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE SUSTAINABILITY OF PRESS FREEDOM IN NIGERIA: EXAMINING THE ROLE OF DEEPFAKES

Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed journalism by enhancing news production, content verification, and audience engagement. However, the emergence of AI-generated deepfakes has introduced significant challenges to information integrity and the sustainability of press freedom. Guided by the Social Responsibility Theory, this study examined the influence of artificial intelligence on the sustainability of press freedom in Nigeria, with particular emphasis on the role of deepfakes. The study adopted a qualitative case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eighteen participants comprising journalists, editors, communication scholars, digital media practitioners, fact-checkers, and media advocacy officials selected through the snowball sampling technique. The interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed five major themes: the influence of AI-generated deepfakes on the credibility of journalism, deepfakes and public trust in news media, the influence of deepfakes on journalistic ethics and professional practice, the legal and regulatory implications of deepfakes, and strategies for sustaining press freedom in the era of artificial intelligence. The findings indicated that while AI has enhanced newsroom efficiency and transformed journalistic practice, the increasing sophistication of deepfakes has complicated content verification, weakened public trust in news media, intensified ethical and professional challenges, and exposed gaps in Nigeria's legal and regulatory framework. The study concludes that the sustainability of press freedom in Nigeria increasingly depends on preserving media credibility, strengthening information integrity, and ensuring the responsible integration of artificial intelligence into journalistic practice. The study recommends strengthening AI governance through enhanced digital verification technologies, continuous capacity building for journalists, appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and improved digital literacy to sustain press freedom in Nigeria.