THIS week, artificial intelligence (AI) made news rounds throughout Sarawak in conjunction with the Sarawak Media Conference (SMeC) 2025.
The conference, which explored both the use of AI in journalism and its associated risks, highlighted the growing acceptance of technology in the field.
I still recall when artificial intelligence first entered the mainstream, captivating everyone’s attention. Suddenly, people of all ages – young and old alike – were excitedly sharing their latest creations with large language models, showing off to friends and colleagues the fascinating things they’d made. There was a real sense of wonder in the air.
Journalists who were under my supervision then quickly latched onto the idea, it was a lifesaver. Not only was it able to transcribe voice recordings, but it was also able to draft the news by itself.
This was a game-changer, it meant less time spent trying to listen to voice recordings, which was important for quoting the interviewee. Prior to it, the process was time-consuming.
The rule of thumb was if the recording was 10 minutes, it would take twice as long to listen and manually transcribe. Imagine if the recording was one hour in length or longer.
Early in my days, I developed a skill whereby I was able to transcribe in real-time while listening to a speech, interview or press conference, typing at great speed on my phone.
This later proved to be a perishable skill if not practised often, as I have come to learn.
I was able to complete my news report quicker as I did not need to listen back to the recording, allowing for greater efficiency when negotiating a tight deadline.
More experienced reporters than myself depended on taking notes on important subjects and potential leads as they listened, to be utilized in their stories.
This is where the experience comes in as they know what needs to be included in their report.
As a greenhorn, I did not possess the experience that they have and was under the impression that every detail mattered.
This later turned out to be helpful, as often, I was instructed to produce two or three stories from a single function. Had I only written notes and tried to expand on those notes, I would run out of materials.
Indeed, the application of AI in news writing was groundbreaking. However, as a trained software engineer, I understood the risks involved and the mechanisms of how it was developed as well as the potential shortcomings with its application.
Initially, I was hesitant, as I quickly observed a pattern when a news report was generated by AI. At first, it sounded too robotic, devoid of character. Upon reading, it was smooth, too smooth – the way that the news is written.
When it comes to news reports, I appreciate the nuances of the writer and their style of writing.
As journalists writing for an English language publication, most of our understanding and grasp of the language is serviceable at best. We did not speak the Queen’s English.
This is not an issue as the words used are often simple everyday words as the intent of a news report is to inform and for it to be easily understood. This is part of the training.
However, now as we become more familiar with AI, we can effectively utilise its malleable nature.
Whatever is generated by AI is not the finished product, it must be nurtured through instructions for the product to be tailored to our suitability.
The question now is: “If AI is good enough to be relied upon regularly, is it good enough to replace journalists and the journalism industry as a whole?”
This is a question pondered by many, not just journalists but also the top brass of media organisations.
Prominent journalists and media figures were right about one thing – while AI is an incredibly handy tool, it does not have the sense of humanity that is essential to storytelling.
Humanity, along with the value of empathy, cannot be replicated and these are cornerstones of good journalism.
It is with these values that the readers are able to read about stories that are important to keep everyone informed.
So, my take is that journalists need to remain adaptable. Technology change is inevitable; we have transcended from the age of analogue to digital – now it is the age of AI.
We must be resilient amid the changing world, navigating different narratives to uphold journalistic virtues.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at nazmixsuhaimi@gmail.com.
