Promises and Perils of AI in the Media Discourse

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By Syed Ali Mujtaba, Edited By Adam Rizvi, The India Observer, TIO: More than 400 journalists and media professionals from 30 countries gathered at the Philippine International Convention Center to attend the conference focused on “The Future of Facts.” They deliberated on the theme of how responsibly AI can be integrated into the newsrooms.

‘As the AI landscape evolves rapidly hence it needs to be deployed carefully,’ as human judgment is crucial to ensure journalistic integrity,’ the experts concluded.

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‘AI is a useful tool in data analysis. News outlets are already finding advantages of using AI for digital searches and dissecting data. At the same time tech companies’ play a mischievous role in perpetuating disinformation due to the profit-driven nature of the fake news,’ experts deliberated at the media conference in Manila Philippines.

The panelists voiced concerns about the phenomena of disinformation and discussed whether or not governments have a role in regulating such a phenomenon.

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The experts feared that online influencers can sway public opinion during the elections more effectively than traditional journalism which can dampen people’s trust in the institution of media.

Experts dwelled on the upside of the AI saying, ‘it offers powerful tools for digital searches, data analysis, and content repurposing, which can be game-changing for the newsrooms. On the downside, there are numerous challenges in trying to regulate online content as there is little accountability by the tech companies in disseminating the disinformation.

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Panelists acknowledged that the future of journalism hinges on AI but feared that while fitting in the roles of traditional journalists it may cut down their jobs which may bode ill for the scribes.

Syed Nazakat the CEO of DataLEADS, a New Delhi-based organization highlighted the dual role of AI both as a tool for disinformation and as a means to combat it. He spoke at the panel on “The Promise and Perils of Artificial Intelligence in the Media.”

“Information warfare is happening at an unprecedented scale where everyone is trying to manipulate each other’s thinking.”

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“AI is having enormous potential but at the same time posing a monstrous threat to democracy due to its power to fuel disinformation and propaganda,” the founder of DataLEADS said.

Nazakat gave an example of the use of AI in the recent Lok Sabha election in India, saying; “Approximately 300 editors, journalists, and fact-checkers worked together for four months to form a fact-checking collective called “Project Shakti” to fight the menace of disinformation. This was the biggest collaboration so far in India between fact-checkers and publishers to fight the menace of misinformation.”

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“We used an early warning system code to flag content that could go viral and this collaboration made a difference as millions of voters were protected from misinformation during the general election held in seven phases from April 19 to June 4, 2024, in India,” he said.

The East-West West Center’s biennial International Media Conference, in Manila explored topics such as; Data and deep-fakes, Influencers and elections, Hopes and fears, etc.

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Curated and Compiled by Humra Kidwai

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