JOINTLY ADDRESSING RISKS
As AI is reshaping the entire chain of news production at an unprecedented speed, it has brought opportunities but also risks and challenges to the media industry, such as ethical lapses in the use of technology and the proliferation of false information, Lyu Yansong, editor-in-chief of Xinhua, said at the Summit on Saturday.
"We should take the initiative to share technological expertise, open-source models and training resources, and work together to strengthen our capacity to address risks arising from AI," he said.
On Saturday, the summit also released the Global Media Initiative for the Joint Development of AI Application Standards. Launched by Xinhua, the initiative brings together major media outlets and other professional organizations to safeguard the authenticity of information, protect data security, and uphold media ethics, thereby maintaining public trust in the media.
The first 22 participants also include Russia's TASS News Agency, the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), South Africa's Independent Media, and China's People's Daily and China Media Group.
Under the initiative, participants plan to work together for about two years to develop a set of standards that address different media uses of AI and are validated by media outlets. The initiative also calls for a global database of AI applications.
Dejan Jazvic, editor-in-chief of the Federal News Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, welcomed the summit's efforts to address AI-related challenges. "The standardization of AI applications must be established as soon as possible," he said.
"It is of crucial importance that we harness AI to improve and develop the media, rather than allowing it to serve as a replacement for media or as a tool for manipulating and deceiving the public," he said.
Mohammed Alyami, director general of the Union of News Agencies of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, said the theme of this year's summit, "Media in the Intelligent Age: From Consensus to Action," called on media organizations to build on shared commitments by proposing practical initiatives and forging partnerships.
He proposed an international framework for responsible journalism in the AI era, grounded in transparency, reliability and information verification.
Media organizations should ensure that technological change serves people and that the media always plays a role as a bridge for mutual understanding and a platform for sharing the truth, he said.
