AI Must Bridge, Not Widen global Technology Gap - Bernama Chairman

From Muhammad Adil Muzaffar Mohd Fisol

BEIJING, Nov 7 (Bernama) -- Artificial intelligence (AI) must bridge, rather than widen, the technological divide between advanced economies and the developing world by ensuring equitable access for all countries and media organisations, said Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai.

He said that while AI was transforming the way news was gathered, produced, distributed and consumed, the challenge was to ensure that its benefits reached media organisations across the Global South.

“The question is no longer whether AI will change journalism. It already has. The real question is whether its benefits will be accessible to all, or whether it will widen the gap between those with advanced technology and those without,” he said.

Wong was delivering his speech entitled “AI for All: Transforming Global Media, Empowering the Global South” at the 7th World Media Summit held at the Great Hall of the People here today.

Wong said AI offered significant opportunities for journalists, including analysing information, translating news into different languages, reaching underserved communities and explaining complex issues more effectively.

However, he stressed that access to basic AI tools alone was insufficient, as media organisations also needed investment, advanced technology and proper training to fully harness its potential.

“AI literacy is no longer optional. It is essential,” he added.

Sharing Bernama’s experience, Wong said the national news agency’s AI journey began with training support from Huawei, one of the first companies to approach the organisation, while media organisations in China had also generously shared their AI roadmaps.

He said the experience reinforced the importance of investing in people and equipping journalists to use AI effectively and responsibly.

Wong noted that AI could help smaller newsrooms in developing countries level the playing field with larger international media organisations.

He cited the possibility of journalists in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America using AI to translate local stories and bring them to a global audience, while making public policies more accessible through multilingual explanations.

Nevertheless, Wong cautioned that many developing countries continued to face challenges involving infrastructure, funding, training and access to reliable data.

He also warned that AI systems trained predominantly on data from powerful economies and major languages could overlook the histories, cultures and perspectives of countries in the Global South.

“Our countries must not merely adopt AI. We must have a meaningful role in shaping its development, ensuring that our languages, experiences and voices are represented,” he said.

On the risks of AI-generated content, Wong said the technology could produce errors, distort facts and generate misleading information.

He emphasised that human editors remained indispensable, with verification, fairness, editorial independence and accountability continuing to form the foundation of responsible journalism.

“AI may not replace every journalist, but journalists who fail to acquire AI skills risk being left behind,” he said.

Wong said the World Media Summit provided an important platform for strengthening international cooperation, particularly through the sharing of knowledge, technology and training with media organisations in developing countries.

He called for greater efforts to promote multilingual AI, protect cultural diversity and ensure smaller newsrooms were not excluded from the technological transformation.

“No country or organisation can meet these challenges alone,” he said.

Wong urged global media organisations to work towards a more inclusive media landscape that gave the Global South a stronger voice and used technology to bring people closer together rather than divide them.

“AI for all must mean opportunity for all, knowledge for all and a voice for all,” he said.

Wong said AI tools would continue to improve and that newsrooms and studios would need to be recalibrated with outdated digital systems phased out as he urged delegates to step up their AI plans.

He also urged news organisations to emphasise audience growth as news consumption has changed and to use AI to achieve the goals.

The 7th WMS, jointly organised by China’s Xinhua News Agency and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, brought together nearly 500 media practitioners and industry stakeholders under the theme “Media in the Intelligent Age: From Consensus to Action”.

Established in 2009 by prominent international media organisations, including Xinhua News Agency, The Associated Press, Reuters, TASS and Kyodo News, the WMS has served as a platform for high-level exchanges and coordination among global media stakeholders.

-- BERNAMA