AI and Accountability: Global Call for Unified Journalism Ethics at Seoul Summit
Media professionals from across the world have underscored the urgent need for a globally coordinated framework for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in journalism. The call was made to uphold ethical standards and preserve public trust in news reporting at the World Journalists Conference 2025, held in Seoul, South Korea.
Organized by the Journalists Association of Korea, the conference took place on March 31 and brought together 62 journalists from 53 countries. Discussions focused on emerging challenges and opportunities facing global media, with particular emphasis on artificial intelligence and climate change.
According to a report published on Saturday by the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Diana Fuentes, Executive Director of Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) in the United States, stated that while AI can be a powerful tool to advance journalism, human oversight remains essential.
During a panel discussion, she noted, “We believe the best approach to AI is learning to use the tools while discovering the exciting possibilities, and keeping ethics front and center. Human involvement is necessary.”
Fuentes emphasized the importance of transparency in newsroom AI use and added, “When an investigative story is printed, posted, or aired, the media should include a brief explanation in plain language about how AI was used.”
She remarked that trust is hard to earn and easy to lose, stressing that media outlets must be transparent about the role of AI in their reporting.
Echoing these concerns, Hwang Seok-ha, a journalist at Busan Daily News, warned that the unauthorized use of AI in news content poses a serious threat to media copyright and financial sustainability.
He said, “Without clear legal protection, the sustainability of journalism faces greater risk,” adding, “It is vital to establish institutional structures that ensure fair compensation when AI is trained on and utilizes news articles.”
Park Yong-hyun, President of the Journalists Association of Korea, emphasized the dual threats of misinformation and AI in his opening speech, warning that these issues could undermine the credibility of journalism and democracy worldwide.
He stated, “Journalism must adapt and lead in facing these challenges to uphold its ethical standards.”
Woo Won-shik, Speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea, reiterated these concerns during the opening ceremony, stressing the importance of a vigilant and transparent media in combating fake news, which he described as a significant threat to global democracy.
The increasing presence of AI in newsrooms was one of the key themes of the conference. Participants observed that AI is becoming increasingly integrated into media workflows — from data analysis and automated content creation to audience engagement.
However, there was consensus that AI should complement, not replace, the human elements of journalism.
Polish journalist Natalia Sewzjak, whose reporting led to significant reforms in Poland’s maternity leave policies, shared her insights, stating, “AI can analyze data and summarize information. But it cannot understand the nuance of human experience or the importance of challenging injustice. That is where human journalists remain irreplaceable.”
Speakers strongly emphasized the importance of robust ethical standards and the need to combat misinformation, particularly in an era of rapidly generated AI content.
Another major point of discussion was the obligation of technology companies to compensate media organizations when journalism-related content is used to train AI models.
Participants called for a comprehensive global policy framework to ensure fair practices in this regard.
Beyond AI, the conference also addressed the critical role of media in covering climate change — another global issue demanding sustainable, accurate, and impactful reporting.
As the week-long summit concluded, delegates issued a joint appeal for greater unity among media professionals across borders, to confront shared challenges and safeguard journalistic integrity.
As one delegate stated, “In a world overflowing with information, journalism must be guided by courage, integrity, and accountability.”
Participants unanimously agreed that as the media industry navigates the transformative tide of artificial intelligence, transparency, accountability, and principled journalism must remain at its core.
