ASTANA – As artificial intelligence reshapes news production and digital platforms fragment audiences, media organizations must strengthen editorial accountability, provide context and build trust to remain relevant, international media representatives said at the 10th Astana Media Week, which opened in the Kazakh capital on Oct.
14. Panelists at the 10th Astana Media Week discuss AI and the future of journalism. Photo credit: Astana Media Week The three-day forum brings together government officials, journalists, technology companies and international media organizations to discuss the future of journalism.
Opening the event’s plenary session, First Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Kanat Iskakov called for shared principles governing the use of artificial intelligence in newsrooms. “The more opportunities any technology gives us, the higher the price of responsibility for its use,” he said.
Iskakov identified strong editorial teams, journalists’ accountability and technologies that improve information reliability as three pillars of trust. He also proposed developing ethical principles for AI use in consultation with the media community and supported labeling AI-generated content so audiences can understand how material was produced.
“An algorithm can write a text, we all understand that, but it cannot take responsibility for its words. Responsibility always rests with the journalist and the editorial team as a whole,” he said. Trust becomes journalism’s most valuable asset The question of responsibility was central to a panel discussion among representatives of international and regional media organizations.
Bojan Brkić, head of the Euronews Bureau in Astana, argued that professional reputation would become increasingly important as AI makes content production faster and cheaper. “The only thing that we will have left that we will be able to sell is our reputation and our trustworthiness – our word that what we publish for you is true,” he said.
The discussion also highlighted the risks posed by algorithms that reinforce existing beliefs and keep audiences within information bubbles. As AI-generated images, videos and text become increasingly convincing, independent reporting and fact-checking are becoming more important.