Workshop Highlights AI’s Impact and Challenges in Journalism
A professional development workshop on AI’s impact, challenges, and future in journalism was held on Saturday, 29 November, at the BCS Innovation Center in Dhanmondi, Dhaka. Around 30 members of the Bangladesh ICT Journalist Forum (BIJF) received hands-on training conducted by Dr. MD Saiful Alam Chowdhury, Associate Professor in the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at the University of Dhaka.
During the session, Dr. Chowdhury explained that prompting consumes significant computational resources, metaphorically saying “gallons of water are spent in prompting.” Effective prompting, he noted, can reduce this cost. “You must help AI understand you. AI is like Aladdin’s lamp; all it needs is the right polish.” He encouraged journalists not to rely on a single tool “like potatoes used for all purposes” but to apply the right AI tools for specific tasks.
BIJF member and The Daily Star Digital Growth Editor Azad Baig demonstrated the use of Pinpoint and NotebookLM, accompanied by co-trainer Ariful Islam Arman.
Ahead of distributing certificates among the participants, BCS General Secretary Monirul Islam, Treasurer Abul Hasan, and Event Management Committee Chairman Abu Chowdhury Tuhin addressed the closing session.
Announcing the return of the ICT fair scheduled for 29–31 January after four years, the BCS General Secretary said that ICT journalists, through the power of their reporting, have helped resolve numerous issues over the past three decades. “Today, we face challenges in the market due to counterfeit and refurbished products,” he added.
Presided over by BIJF President Hitler A Halim, the workshop opened with welcome remarks by Vice-President Bhuiyan Inam Lenin, who recalled: “When I worked on magazines, I designed covers using Photoshop. Now, with time and necessity, AI has arrived. Today, layouts and designs can be done with AI.”
Moderated by General Secretary Sabbir Hasan, Daily Sarabangla News Editor Suman Islam emphasized that continuous learning is essential. “To meet AI’s challenges, we must learn—but we must not become dependent on AI.”
The BIJF President also announced plans for another training session in December.
The workshop was supported by the Bangladesh Computer Samity and sponsored by Gigabyte Bangladesh.
DBTech/IH/OR
