Beijing:Media organizations around the world have pledged to promote inclusive access to artificial intelligence (AI), uphold responsible journalism, and enhance international cooperation to develop a global communication governance system tailored for the AI era's challenges.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, these commitments were detailed in the Beijing Consensus, which was adopted following discussions among representatives from mainstream media organizations, leading think tanks, government agencies, and international organizations at the 7th World Media Summit (WMS), which concluded today.
The consensus highlights several priorities for the global media industry as AI continues to transform the communication landscape. It particularly emphasizes ensuring that technological advancements benefit media organizations across nations, irrespective of their development stages. The document advocates for maintaining objectivity and impartiality, rejecting false information, inaccurate reporting, and biased narratives, while promoting reasoned dialogue to tackle global challenges.
Several Malaysian media organizations, including the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), and The Borneo Post, participated in the summit discussions leading to the consensus. Bernama Chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai and Editor-in-Chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj were among the participants in the summit and its deliberations.
The Beijing Consensus acknowledges AI as a pivotal driver of technological revolution and industrial transformation, fundamentally reshaping the global development landscape, including media operations, content production, and information delivery. It calls on media organizations to utilize intelligent communication technologies to deepen international exchanges and cooperation through joint reporting, technical exchanges, and broader people-to-people interactions.
The declaration also recognizes the diversity of development paths pursued by countries, while acknowledging the opportunities presented by China’s modernization, particularly in megacity governance, cultural heritage conservation, and scientific and technological innovation. The adoption of the Beijing Consensus reflects a growing recognition among global media organizations that AI is a transformative force reshaping the foundations of journalism, information exchange, and global communication.
Central to the declaration is the challenge of leveraging AI's potential without exacerbating technological inequalities, eroding public trust, or undermining the media's role in facilitating informed public discourse. The consensus underscores the need for media organizations to provide accurate, credible, and balanced information and highlights the importance of developing a global communication governance system suited to the AI era.
The 7th WMS, jointly organized by China's Xinhua News Agency and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, gathered nearly 500 media practitioners and industry stakeholders from over 100 countries under the theme “Media in the Intelligent Age From Consensus to Action.” Established in 2009 by prominent international media organizations, including Xinhua News Agency, The Associated Press, Reuters, TASS, and Kyodo News, the WMS serves as a platform for high-level exchanges and coordination among global media stakeholders.