Bhubaneswar: Speaker of Odisha Legislative Assembly Surama Padhy on Sunday emphasised the urgent need for a globally coordinated policy on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in journalism to uphold ethical standards and preserve public trust in news reporting. The call came during the 9th National Media Conclave, held at KIMS Auditorium here that brought together 42 experts and media professionals from across the country.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 3-day conference on ‘Media 5.0: Digital Communication’, she said while AI offers powerful tools to enhance journalism, human oversight remains essential. Trust, she pointed out, is hard to earn but easy to lose, and newsrooms must be transparent about AI’s involvement in reporting. As the world undergoes rapid transformation amid technological advancements, the convergence of the internet and artificial intelligence progressively erodes the once-distinct boundaries of the emerging global landscape, Padhy added. She also remembered the journalistic works of former chief minister Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab.
The annual event, hosted by Institute of Media Studies (IMS), Utkal University in support with KIIT and OCAC, was organised to deliberate on the Media 5.0 trend and its impact on knowledge system and society at large.
Addressing the gathering, Vice-Chancellor of FM University Prof. Santosh Kumar Tripathy said, “We live in an era of AI. We cannot avoid AI; we have to accept it. We must embrace the best parts of AI and reject its worst. We should use AI, not misuse it. And while using AI, we must also apply human intelligence.”
Well-known media academic Prof. Pradeep Mallik from Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar shared the key takeaways of the conference and presented his closing remarks. “Technology has democratised the media sphere. We cannot resist technology, but we should not be bound by it. In an era of datacracy and algorithm-driven media, we must be able to understand what is true and arrive at our own conclusions,” he said. “It is vital that we harness technology for the greater good — for the progress of society and the nation as a whole. Artificial Intelligence, too, must be used responsibly: for our own growth, for collective welfare, and for the betterment of the country,” Mallik added.
While six research scholars bagged Best Paper Presentation award, the Rourkela Steel Plant won the 9th NMC Awards in Best Public Sector Organisation Implementing PR category. On the occasion, Associate Professor of Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology Dr. Mihir Ranjan Patra was also felicitated for successfully organizing the first NMC Film Festival where 12 films were screened.
Professor of Media Sciences at Anna University Dr. S. Arulchelvan and Dr Ruchita Sujai Chowdhary from Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University shared their experiences on the occasion. While Chairman of the conclave and Director of IMS Prof. Upendra Padhi welcomed the guests, Assistant Professor and Organising Secretary of NMC Manoranjan Panda offered vote of thanks.
