KLANG, Nov 26 — Journalists should not feel guilty about utilising artificial intelligence (AI) technology in their daily tasks so long as it is used as a support tool and not as a shortcut that diminishes the quality of their work.
Astro Awani social media chief editor Hilal Azmi said the use of AI is normal and increasingly necessary in newsrooms, but journalists should be cautious and not rely on it entirely.
"There is no need to feel guilty as long as we are not using AI as an excuse to be lazy. The problem is that when technology makes things easier, we tend to just ‘copy and paste’.
"AI should be seen as a tool that helps journalists become more creative, meticulous, and efficient without neglecting professional editorial processes," he said during the 'AI & Media Forum: New Perspectives on Challenges and Opportunities', organised by Media Selangor at the Wyndham Acmar Klang Hotel yesterday.
Hilal added that there are three AI stages suitable for ethical application: information searching or preliminary research, preparing draft writing, and reassessing understanding, as well as the clarity of information to be conveyed.
"Any technology, including AI, is merely a tool. Journalists still need to think, evaluate, and fact-check. Never, ever hand over 100 per cent of the work to AI," he emphasised.
Hilal also reminded attendees that although technology can help speed up work processes, the role of journalists as humans who interpret, assess, and verify information cannot be replaced.
"If AI were truly capable of performing 100 per cent of a journalist’s work, in five years’ time journalists might no longer exist, only editors. However, humans are still needed for fact-checking and making editorial decisions," he said.
The forum, attended by more than 100 participants from various news agencies, aimed to enhance understanding of the role of AI technology in official communications and to strengthen skills in producing more accurate, creative and responsive content in line with the state government’s information delivery needs.
The two-hour session featured a panel comprising Hilal, the Management and Science University's Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security director Prof Muhammad Irsyad Abdullah, and Selangor Media Council founding board member Radzi Razak.
