KUALA LUMPUR: Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has urged news agencies to harness artificial intelligence (AI) to combat misinformation in the digital media era.
Noting the need to “fight fire with fire”, he highlighted how AI was already being used to counter AI-driven threats in cybersecurity, citing organisations like BlackBerry that leveraged AI to enhance digital security.
“There’s an opportunity to look at what AI can do for your news organisations and your respective national landscapes to fight the scourge of misinformation,“ he said in his welcoming remarks at the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) 54th Executive Board Meeting (EBM) dinner, here today.
Sharing Malaysia’s latest initiative in combating misinformation, Fahmi said the government had introduced fact-checking AI chatbot ‘AIFA’ to combat fake news on WhatsApp.
He said the chatbot was created following a survey that showed many Malaysians relied on WhatsApp for firsthand news.
“And so we’ve decided that we will take the fight of misinformation on WhatsApp, directly on WhatsApp. We created this chatbot and people can engage with it, people can ask questions on it,“ he said.
Fahmi also touched on the challenges faced by media organisations in this era, including the shift to social media as a news source, which had significantly impacted traditional media advertising.
During the dinner hosted by the Communications Ministry, Fahmi also witnessed the exchange of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) and two news agencies, namely Indonesia’s Perusahaan Umum Lembaga Kantor Berita Nasional (ANTARA) and Japan’s Kyodo News.
The MoUs were aimed at renewing existing cooperation between Bernama and the two news agencies, while also enhancing content services to meet the evolving demands of new media.
During the exchange ceremony, Bernama was represented by its Chief Executive Officer, Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, while ANTARA was represented by its Managing Editor Teguh Priyanto, and Kyodo News by its International Department Managing Director, Moriyasu Chikazawa.
The event was also witnessed by Bernama Chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai.
Also present were Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa, Bernama Editor-in-Chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj and Bernama Executive Editor for International News Service Mohd Shukri Ishak, who is also discharging the duties of Deputy Editor-in-Chief, as well as OANA Executive Board members.
The dinner was enlivened by a cultural performance by Pentarama of the Information Department (JaPen), which showcased Malaysia’s traditions while conveying meaningful messages that resonated with society.
Malaysia, through Bernama, is hosting the 54th OANA EBM over four days beginning Sunday.
