Kuala lumpur: The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, has warned that while artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way information is created, shared, and trusted, it also presents new challenges to truth. In his royal address at the Global Public Relations Conference and Festival (GPRCF) Malaysia 2025, he emphasised that it is the responsibility of communicators, such as journalists, strategists, educators, and leaders, to humanise technology.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Sultan Nazrin highlighted the importance of ensuring that innovation does not replace empathy and that speed does not supersede sincerity. He urged vigilance in an age where misinformation spreads faster than understanding, advocating for a response marked by wisdom and a steadfast commitment to truth and peaceful engagement during the conference's official opening.

The event was attended by notable figures, including Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, former Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chairman Datuk Seri Azman Ujang, and Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) president Datuk Yong Soo Heong, who is also the former Bernama editor-in-chief.

Sultan Nazrin stressed the importance of nurturing human values that underpin effective communication, noting Malaysia's strength in diversity and the necessity for words to connect rather than divide. He remarked on the significant weight of words, asserting that the civility of national discourse reflects the civility of the nation.

He underscored the duty of communicators in government, business, or media to safeguard truth, civility, and accuracy. Sultan Nazrin warned that harsh or divisive speech erodes trust and cohesion, and public communicators must choose their words with wisdom and conscience to maintain public trust and national stability.

As Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship for 2025 nears its conclusion, Sultan Nazrin urged ASEAN member states to prioritise cooperation over confrontation. He encouraged communicators across the region to bridge divides and translate policies into understanding.

The inaugural three-day conference, organised by the Public Relations Practitioners Society of Malaysia (PRactitioners), has brought together over 500 communication leaders, media professionals, policymakers, and academics from Malaysia and abroad.