0
0
By Patrick Mapenzi
In Bukavu, in South Kivu Province, the fight against disinformation is taking on a new dimension with the involvement of stakeholders from the cultural sector. From November 2 to 4, 2026, Kwetu Art Lab brought together twenty young artists and content creators for a training programme focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications, as part of an initiative exploring the relationship between the arts and digital technologies. Visual artists, actors, musicians and content producers were introduced to the opportunities offered by these emerging tools, as well as the responsibilities that come with their use.
Organised as part of a monthly initiative dedicated to artistic and digital innovation, the training took place against a backdrop of growing use of tools capable of generating text, images and audio content. Through theoretical sessions and practical exercises, participants explored how AI can be applied in their respective fields, particularly to facilitate certain creative tasks, improve working methods and experiment with new forms of artistic expression.
Beyond the creative opportunities, the training placed significant emphasis on ethical considerations and information reliability. This aspect was addressed in particular by the Chunguza Habari team, a platform committed to media literacy and fact-checking. Led by its director, Loni Irenge Joël, alongside editor-in-chief Isaac Musharhamina and fact-checker Antoine Ruhamya, the team raised awareness among young creators about the risks associated with the spread of misleading content generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence.
Discussions focused notably on deepfakes, as well as synthetic images and other forms of content that can mislead the public. Through demonstrations and visual analyses, the facilitators presented various methods for identifying signs of manipulation, assessing the consistency of content and questioning its origin before accepting it as credible.
Particular emphasis was also placed on the precautions to take before publishing anything on social media. Checking the source of images, cross-referencing information with reliable sources, identifying possible technical inconsistencies and avoiding the rushed sharing of unauthenticated content were among the recommended practices. The aim is to ensure that artists and content creators become not only informed users of digital tools, but also responsible sources of information within their communities.
The convergence of Kwetu Art Lab’s creative approach and Chunguza Habari’s expertise in fact-checking has therefore created an opportunity for collaboration between cultural innovation and media literacy. The twenty participants leave the training with technical knowledge and ethical guidelines designed to help them use AI more responsibly, in an increasingly complex digital environment where distinguishing authentic content from manipulated material is becoming more difficult.
Through this initiative, Kwetu Art Lab and Chunguza Habari are highlighting a key challenge facing young artists in South Kivu: making artificial intelligence a tool for creativity and progress without abandoning critical thinking or social responsibility. For these emerging talents, the challenge now lies in harnessing the potential of this technology while contributing to the dissemination of verified, credible information that upholds the truth.
