Bernama chief: balance, fairness, transparency and accountability matter when using AI in journalism
Journalists must exercise caution when using artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure it strengthens, rather than undermines, the core values of their profession, a senior Malaysian media official said on Saturday at the Asia-Pacific Media Forum in Shenzhen, southern China.
When artificial intelligence bursts into newsrooms, it promises speed, efficiency and new possibilities. But with them come dangers: disinformation, deepfakes and the erosion of trust. Journalism has always rested on human judgment — the ability to distinguish fact from fiction, to hear voices that others overlook. If AI becomes not a helper but a replacement for that judgment, the profession loses its soul. The Malaysian media executive's warning is not a rejection of progress but a reminder: technology must serve the truth, not substitute for it.
Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, Director General of the Malaysian National News Agency Bernama, stressed that accuracy, balance, fairness, transparency and accountability to the public must remain at the core of journalism. The forum brought together more than 400 representatives from media organisations, think tanks and government sectors from 42 countries and regions, as well as United Nations agencies and other international bodies.
While AI provides journalists with an efficient tool, it also carries the risk of generating misinformation and deepfakes on an unprecedented scale, Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin said at the forum. She later reiterated the same point in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), stressing the need for caution in adopting the technology. "Artificial intelligence is transforming the media world very quickly, and especially us journalists, but at the same time, although we use it as a tool to facilitate our daily work, I believe journalists need to be very careful when using AI in their work," she said.
Ahead of the 53rd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia next year, Nur-ul Afida called on the media to play a more active role in strengthening people to people ties. "From the media perspective, I think we need to pay more attention to people to people relations. We should produce more stories about ordinary people, because it is stories of interest to the general public that will attract our readers, our audience. Let us strive to improve relations between people, as well as between the government and companies of China and Malaysia," she said.
The Asia-Pacific Media Forum in Shenzhen served as an important platform for discussing the challenges that artificial intelligence poses to journalism. Malaysia's Bernama news agency, founded in 1968, is one of the region's leading news providers. Its director general's remarks reflected the concern of many media managers: how to maintain audience trust in an era when any content can be machine generated.
The call for caution does not mean rejecting technology — it means demanding responsibility. The upcoming anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Malaysia adds further significance to this message: media should not only inform but also unite people, especially when technology makes the world both closer and more complex to understand.
As CCTV+ reports, the Malaysian media executive's warning came at a time when AI is penetrating news processes ever more deeply around the world. Journalism faces a choice: use technology as a tool or allow it to become the master of the profession. The answer, according to speakers, lies not in rejecting AI but in its conscious and ethical application, where accuracy, honesty and human involvement remain the guiding principles.
