With a tradition of over 10 years, the World Journalists Conference took place in Seoul this year and gathered 62 journalists from 52 countries and the best speakers from well-known media agencies. Organized by the Journalists Association of Korea with support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the conference brought to attention the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on copyright and ethical challenges in journalism and the role of media in environmental problems and climate change. From the 31st of March to the 5th of April, the participants discussed media manipulation, misinformation and fake news created by AI and what will happen if AI replaces journalists.
Anamaria Nedelcoff was the representative journalist for Romania. Her participation was supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Romania and by His Excellency Mr. Kap Soo Rim. Anamaria is attracted to Korean culture and language, old Korean music and history. Her biggest wish was to visit Korea before turning 40, and this year, this wish was successfully fulfilled.
It is incredible how people can easily develop friendships when attracted to the same ideas and goals in life. “We became friends at the hotel before the conference started. We called ourselves by our country names, as it was easier”, said Anamaria. The journalists formed a small community for six days, becoming a family. They discussed the challenges faced by global journalism and found solutions to solve them in these changing times, where AI has started to monopolize almost every area.
Facing the question “Could AI replace the media?” the journalists highlighted the disadvantages of such a dramatic change. No matter how advanced the AI is, it cannot solve people's problems, change laws and conduct an investigation. Because, as Anamaria said, in the end, human empathy, perseverance and kindness are the only things that connect people, contributing to the evolution of humankind.
But AI is not always a bad thing. “AI-powered journalism can become superjournalism” declared one of the presenters. AI can minimize the work volume and can rapidly write and translate articles, but all the information needs to be monitored by journalists.
I was very surprised when I learned from Anamaria that the European Union was the first to adopt the AI law, followed by Korea. This law establishes the legal way to use AI and refers to the mandatory labeling of AI-created content.
The journalists from around the world had an authentic Korean experience. The cultural program included exploring a few cities, like Anseong, Incheon, Siheung and Jeju Island, trying various traditional K-food, like fried octopus, grilled mackerel, raw sea urchin, kimchi and tteok, and visiting top attractions in Korea (Korean Demilitarized Zone, Jeju’s Carbon-Free Island, Jeju Stone Park, Starfield Suwon, National Museum of World Writing Systems, Deoksugung and Insa-dong).
With a huge baggage of knowledge from the conference, Anamaria returned to Romania to help other journalists understand the implications of AI in media. She also made a lot of friends for future collaborations and sharing ideas.
Enthusiasm, friendship and luck. These are the things that Anamaria encountered in this journey. And these are the magical ingredients for a wonderful article and I am very grateful to Anamaria for sharing tips from the conference and for having me as the interviewer.
*Anamaria Nedelcoff has been a television journalist for more than 20 years. She has great experience in investigative journalism, creative writing and media marketing. Her articles refer to politics, economics, and also cultural and social events.
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