Srdjana Janosevic: Artificial Intelligence Should Not Replace Humans in Journalism
IT specialists from around the world have gathered at the Mechta venue in Moscow’s Gorky Park for the 2nd Global Digital Forum, whose main focus is sharing experience in developing digital infrastructure.
Participants are discussing how to build technological sovereignty and develop digital services. Srdjana Janosevic, co-founder of the Seychelles News Agency (Seychelles), spoke to the IT Russia media platform about the role of artificial intelligence in journalism and the importance of professional ethics:
– I would like to say that, as a journalist and editor, it is very important for me today to stay up to date with current developments, especially when it comes to artificial intelligence. Our task now is to combat fake news and disinformation so that we can remain truly professional journalists. That is why I pay a lot of attention to AI, and I already spoke about this during the panel discussion.
I believe people need to stay committed to good journalism. We should not rely too heavily on artificial intelligence because it can make us lazy, and as a result, we may lose the trust of our audience. All editorial and final decisions should be made by humans. AI should be there to assist us.
AI can help with translation, transcription and writing, as well as with research and finding information. But artificial intelligence still cannot replace humans. People need to remain at the center of journalism. AI should not write in place of a journalist.
In my experience, I have been a journalist since 1999, for 26 years now, and I know that no legislation, regulation or code of conduct can fully solve the problems that exist in journalism. The only way to achieve results is to be guided by professional standards, morality and ethics.
We need to have moral principles because without them, no laws will help. The best editors and editors-in-chief need to have that inner strength and character. We need to teach these principles both to the next generation of journalists and to those already working in the profession.
Without such an approach, lies and deception will emerge. Journalists need to be taught to respect their profession. Editors and editors-in-chief need to choose the right people, those who understand what is right and what is wrong.
I follow outlets such as TASS and RIA Novosti. There is also the New African Initiative. I have great respect for these organizations. To be honest, I do not read Russian, so I only follow what they publish in foreign languages.
Russia Today does an excellent job. It has an English-language channel, and it is a great voice that brings diversity to the range of views because, at the moment, other countries are mostly exposed to propaganda. Russia Today is doing an excellent job in this regard, as is Sputnik.
