By Muhammad Amaan
Global media leaders have called for responsible use of Artificial Intelligence to ensure mutual progress.
They stated this during the 4th China Media Group (CMG) Forum held in Qufu, Shandong Province of China.
The forum, jointly hosted by CMG and the Shandong Provincial People’s Government had the theme “Exchange, Mutual Learning, Technology Empowerment: The Power of Civilisation in Transformation and Development.
With an aim to strengthen communication and inject new momentum into building an open and inclusive international communication, about 300 guests were in attendance.
They included international officials, heads of global organisations, scholars, media professionals and leaders from Euronews, CNBC, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, and others.
Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary General for Global Communications, urged global media organisations to stand up for information integrity through collaboration.
She said that while generative artificial intelligence brings new productivity and social benefits, it also poses significant risks that fuel a crisis of trust.
While identifying the benefits of AI, President of Reuters, Paul Bascobert, said it is not merely an efficiency tool but also represents a foundational shift in how news can be gathered, verified, contextualised and delivered.
Bascobert said the current AI revolution was a reminder that technological innovation is always transforming media, but the coordination of journalism remains possible.
He, however, said what changes is the capacity of journalists to fill void positions more effectively.
The media leader called on colleagues to embrace AI’s capabilities while maintaining human oversight.
“We must recognise that technological advancements should serve our core journalistic values not close them. We must use AI to expand access to quality journalism. AI offers unprecedented opportunities to deliver news.
“The true power of innovation in journalism isn’t just efficiency, it is expanding our capacity to reform, connect and foster understanding across our local community,” he said.
In his speech, Vice President and Managing Director of Global Media Services, Associated Press, Andrew Braddel, said AP has been a leader in generative AI, having been the first news publisher to work with open AI, the company behind Chatgpt.
Braddel, however, said AP does not see AI as a replacement for journalists in any way.
“Human oversight is essential so AI cannot replace the journalists in the field, giving invaluable eyewitness reporting as news unfolds.
“We can’t deny that AI has improved speed and efficiency but we face significant concerns regarding intellectual property.
“We must push for a legal framework to protect intellectual property and ensure content creators are adequately compensated.”
He also said AI has the potential to challenge and enhance the media industry, adding that if not embraced, the media risks being left behind.
Earlier, CMG President, Shen Haixiong, emphasised the group’s commitment to building bridges of dialogue through media communication.
CMG, he said, was ready to collaborate with global partners to continuously inject the power of civilisation into global peace and development.
Shen said the flourishing of civilisations require communication and mutual construction, recalling that Chinese civilisation has always favoured consensus, tolerance and openness in the face of conflicts.
“Only through communication and mutual construction can civilisation flourish and prosper forever,” he noted.
Also, Secretary of the Communist Party of China Shandong Provincial Committee, Lin Wu, said that President Xi Jinping attaches great importance to media development as it serves as a bridge and link to enhance mutual trust.
He said that the province has implemented Xi’s important instructions on strengthening international communication capacity and deepening exchanges among civilisations.
“We have leveraged technologies such as AI, 5G, and VR to drive media innovation, actively telling China and Shandong stories to the world.
“We hope to take this forum as an opportunity to work side by side with media friends, jointly advancing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilisation Initiative, accelerating the building of an all-media communication network.”
Some highlights of the forum were the launch of projects aimed at promoting mutual learning such as “The CMG AI technology innovation application intelligent platform.”
“China Up Close: Shandong Tour” was also launched to bring international journalists together to learn about China’s historical heritage and innovative progress from a global perspective.
