NJOMACS

The study examined artificial intelligence generated news content and audience trust in digital media platforms in Nigeria with focus on Ikeja residents Lagos State, Nigeria. The motivation for this research was the increasing integration of artificial intelligence into digital journalism and the increasing concerns about the credibility and reliability of automated news content. The objective of the study was to find out the extent of exposure of the audience to AI-generated news content, examine the audience’s perception towards its credibility and reliability, and evaluate its impact on the audience’s trust in digital media platforms (Facebook, X, Instagram, online newspapers). The study adopted the survey research design. The data collection instrument was a structured questionnaire involving 384 participants who are youth residing in Ikeja, Lagos State, both male and female. To analyze the data obtained from respondents, descriptive statistics such as frequency tables, percentages, mean scores and standard deviation were used. The hypothesis was tested using Chi-square statistical analysis. The findings showed that audiences are exposed to AI generated news content to a large extent through digital media platforms. The study also revealed that the audience is skeptical of the credibility of AI-generated news content due to the fear of misinformation and absence of human editorial oversight. The results also revealed the significant effect of AI-based news content on the trust of the audiences in the digital media platforms. The study recommended more transparency in AI news production, stronger editorial verification mechanisms and increasing media literacy programmes for digital audiences.