Workshop participants.
New Delhi: A three -day transformer workshop on the ethical use of AI in journalism took place in Noida, India, from March 7 to 9.
Organized by the American Agency for the World Media (USAGM) and Voice of America (VOA), the event was aimed at empowering journalists in South with knowledge and tools to sail in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence in the media.
The workshop, led by expert trainers Manon Verchot and Sanshey Biswas from Inoldnews, attracted 28 participants from Nepal, India and Sri Lanka.
The workshop has covered a wide range of subjects, focusing on the integration of AI tools into modern journalism while guaranteeing ethical practices.
The trainers have provided in -depth information on how AI is already used in editorial rooms and publications, and how journalists can take advantage of AI to optimize their content creation processes.
One of the basic sessions has explored the importance of optimizing rapid writing, comparing the results of several generative AI tools and how to improve workflows of AI -assisted journalism.
A key theme of the workshop was to differentiate media threshing surrounding AI and its practical daily applications.
Participants learned to critically assess the content generated by AI, identify and treat current errors that AI can make, such as biases and inaccuracies.
By emphasizing the ethical use of AI, trainers encouraged journalists to be careful about potential traps while taking advantage of the power of technology to improve their work.
Beyond the creation of content, the workshop has plunged into more specialized AI applications.
Journalists have been trained to use AI tools for the verification of facts on different subjects, which becomes an essential competence in the media environment at the rapid rate of today.
In addition, there have been practical sessions that presented journalists the potential of the AI to improve audio linked tasks – such as transcription, summary and cleaning of the raw audio of interviews – allowing them to improve the quality of their reports.
The training did not stop for written or audio content. Participants also explored how AI can be used for data extraction from documents, generation of visuals via AI -focused platforms and strategies development to maintain consistency in the creation of visual content.
This aspect of the workshop highlighted the power of AI in the transformation of how journalists can present complex stories, which makes them more visually engaging and accessible to a wider audience.
Effectively engaging the public was another focal point. The trainers have shown how AI tools can be used to create convincing social media videos, which are crucial to promoting stories in the media landscape of digital today.
They also underlined how AI could help the creation of editorial stories or series, by developing content which not only informs but resonates with readers on different platforms.
Perhaps even more important, the workshop highlighted the value of human touch in journalism, a theme that has been woven throughout all training sessions.
Although AI can automate and improve many aspects of journalism, the trainers have stressed the importance of maintaining journalistic integrity, creativity and empathy – the qualities that AI cannot reproduce.
The workshop ended with a powerful reminder to journalists: AI must be used to complete, and not replace the fundamental values of journalism.
One of the participants, Gobi Yoesh of Sri Lanka, shared his reflections on the experience, calling the workshop “extremely fruitful and productive”.
He noted that this gave participants a complete understanding of how AI tools can be used effectively in writing rooms, allowing them to better sail in the changing media and technology landscape.
This event was an important step in preparing journalists in South Asia for the future of the media, ensuring that they understand not only the capacities of AI, but also recognize the ethical responsibilities that accompany the use of so powerful tools in the pursuit of truth and equity in journalism.