Journalists Must Uphold Humanity Amidst AI Dominance - Sarawak Deputy Minister

KUCHING, July 3 (Bernama) -- Journalists must continue to champion the element of humanity in their work, particularly in an era which is increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence (AI) and digital advancements.

Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department (Corporate Affairs, Information and Public Communication Unit - UKAS) Datuk Abdullah Saidol said while technology is progressing at an unprecedented pace, it could not entirely grasp human emotion, values and empathy.

“Stories related to humanity and humanitarian values. I think this is something coming through, getting lost in the world's chaos. So, I think the journalists, the writers, this is something you have to defend... that is humanity,” he said.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of a Sarawak Media Conference (SMeC) 2025 here, today, he said new technology should not be accepted as “wholesome adoptions” when the fundamental issues are yet to be well understood.

“We don't want to be left out, but neither do we want to be too quick in adopting (new technology).  Sometimes we may be too quick in adopting the latest, when the fundamental is not being fully addressed,” he said.

While appreciating the active engagements of the speakers and participants, Abdullah, who is also the SMeC 2025 organising chairman, said one of his takes from the event was to discuss further on the financial impact of embracing AI technology on media personnel and the government.

"Probably, in the next seminars, we'll get someone who has done this before, how much it costs for ordinary people, for the government, to further embrace into future digital advancements, which is very quick, every day, every month, almost every year, we will see new things,” he said.

Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg officiated the opening of the two-day conference themed “Artificial Intelligence: Shaping the Future of Media and Journalism”, which featured seven speakers from the United States, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.

The SMeC 2025 was held in conjunction with the state-level National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) celebration and co-organised by UKAS and Angkatan Zaman Mansang (AZAM), a Sarawak-based development communication non-governmental organisation.

-- BERNAMA