AI must support journalists, not replace human role

On August 14, Hanoi hosted the inaugural WAN-IFRA Vietnam International AI Forum, organized by the Vietnam Journalists Association and WAN-IFRA. This marked the forum's first time in Vietnam, drawing over 200 participants from regulatory bodies, press organizations, research institutions, and AI experts from around the world. The event's opening speaker, Mr. Le Quoc Minh, emphasized that journalism's purpose in the AI era should not be to replace human journalists with machines, but to use technology to enhance their skills and create greater value for society.

Minh stressed that digital transformation is essential for modern journalism, not merely a desirable upgrade. AI can assist journalists with research and analysis, enable creative storytelling, and streamline newsroom operations, all while preserving journalism's core values of truth-seeking, verification, and public trust. WAN-IFRA's Asia Regional Director, Mr. Lee Kah Whye, explained that Hanoi was chosen as the location for the forum to bring the latest AI trends to the journalism community and offer newsrooms opportunities to share practical experience.

Throughout the forum, experts from The Straits Times of Singapore, Fathm of Colombia, Hearst Newspapers of the United States, and OK Lab of Switzerland discussed various AI applications in journalism. Topics included agentic AI, AI-powered newsroom workflows, and AI governance at scale. The discussions highlighted how newsrooms have successfully integrated AI into their operations, developed AI-powered newsroom models, and established governance principles to maintain public trust and ensure that technology remains under human control.

The organizers hope that the forum will serve as a platform for policymakers, experts, and news organizations to share experiences, technologies, and pioneering models, ultimately strengthening journalists' digital capabilities and turning AI into a valuable tool for enhancing journalistic work.