RTM Keeps Pace With AI, Reinforces Public Confidence

KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 (Bernama) -- Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) will continue to reinforce its role as the country’s public broadcaster in the age of artificial intelligence (AI), managing both risks and opportunities while keeping public trust in its content.

RTM director-general Ashwad Ismail said technological developments, including AI, should be viewed holistically, not as a threat but as a necessity to keep the broadcasting industry relevant.

“The question is how we remain relevant in the years ahead, or put simply, how we ensure our talent keeps working and isn’t replaced by robots. That’s the risk if we fail to respond or adapt to change.

“Secondly, opportunities, focusing on how we can use these technological developments to improve the quality of our talent and output. This is the core philosophy for navigating the AI era,” he said on Bernama TV’s Malaysia Petang Ini today.

The interview was held in conjunction with RTM’s 80th anniversary, highlighting its role as the country’s leading public broadcaster since 1946.

Ashwad said balancing risks and opportunities is key to keeping the broadcaster competitive in a challenging media landscape, adding that RTM has continually evolved with technological advances while remaining a key source of information for the public.

He emphasised that trust is central to maintaining a media organisation’s credibility, particularly in the digital era, where technologies like deepfakes are emerging.

He said RTM has guidelines for using AI to ensure the technology is applied ethically and responsibly, including in news content production.

“The media industry is still in an experimental phase in assessing the effectiveness of AI, and at the same time, we need to learn from the rise of social media, which grew without adequate regulation,” he added.

-- BERNAMA