Bhubaneswar: Speaker of the 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, which brought together 42 experts and media professionals from across the country.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the three-day conference on ‘Media 5.0: Digital Communication’, she said that 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 paid tribute to the journalistic work of former Chief Minister Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab.
The annual event, hosted by the Institute of Media Studies (IMS), Utkal University, in collaboration with KIIT and OCAC, was organised to deliberate on the Media 5.0 trend and its impact on the 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 its best aspects 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 discern 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 received the Best Paper Presentation award, the Rourkela Steel Plant won the 9th NMC Award in the 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 organising the first NMC Film Festival, where 12 films were screened.
Professors of Media Sciences at Anna University, Dr. S. Arulchelvan, and Dr. Ruchita Sujai Chowdhary from Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University shared their experiences at the event. While the Chairman of the conclave and Director of IMS, Prof. Upendra Padhi, welcomed the guests, Assistant Professor and Organising Secretary of NMC, Manoranjan Panda, offered the vote of thanks.
