Mehr Media Group CEO proposes international cooperation on AI use in journalism at Beijing summit

Mohammad Mahdi Rahmati, CEO of Mehr Media Group, addressed the 7th World Media Summit in Beijing with a proposal to establish an international working group for knowledge exchange and collaboration in the field of artificial intelligence in journalism. He also suggested joint investment in developing an open AI-based editorial management system.

Speaking at the international event on Saturday, Rahmati highlighted the opportunities and challenges that AI presents for the media industry. He emphasized that international interaction is necessary to ensure that intelligent technologies contribute to overall development, credible journalism, and a fairer global information space.

The 7th World Media Summit is taking place in Beijing from November 5 to 9 and has gathered about 500 representatives from nearly 330 major media outlets, think tanks, government bodies, the United Nations, and other international organizations from 112 countries and regions.

The summit, themed 'Media in the Intellectual Age: From Consensus to Action,' is jointly organized by the Xinhua News Agency and the Municipal Government of Beijing. It examines the growing influence of artificial intelligence on the production, distribution, and interpretation of information, as well as the challenges facing media trust in an era of increasingly complex digital technologies.

Rahmati, who leads Mehr Media Group, which includes the Mehr News Agency and the English-language daily Tehran Times, used Iran's recent experience in the war to illustrate the dual role of AI in modern conflicts—both in military decision-making and in covering their human consequences.

Referencing the Minab school tragedy, where 168 children and teachers died, he stated that investigations indicated that the most likely cause of the incident was inaccurate analysis performed by an AI system used by US armed forces. At the same time, AI also helped the media document the event and convey the suffering caused by the loss of children.

He argued that such cases underscore the obligation of media organizations to uphold truth and human values, as intelligent technologies increasingly influence both critical decisions and public understanding of events.

Furthermore, Rahmati called for abandoning restrictive approaches to technological development, insisting that no society should be excluded from the process of shaping the future of the media industry.

During his speech, he thanked Mr. Fu and colleagues from the Xinhua News Agency for the opportunity to discuss the future of media in the age of AI. He posed a fundamental question: how can we ensure that the new system of knowledge production and processing serves all humanity in a world where AI is rapidly changing how information is obtained?

Rahmati noted that despite evidence of a possible targeted US attack on the Minab school, investigations point to the inaccuracy of the AI analysis used by the US military as the most probable cause of the death of 168 children. He stressed that AI simultaneously helped the media tell this story and describe the suffering.

This experience raises the question of the responsibility of media towards the truth and public opinion when intelligent technologies are involved in both making critical decisions and shaping public opinion. He stated that access to AI itself does not guarantee better understanding or a fairer dialogue; work must be done on how media can transform the power of knowledge into an opportunity for cooperation.

To strengthen media potential in using AI, Rahmati put forward two proposals. The first is the creation of a Working Group on AI Cooperation and Knowledge Exchange in Media, which could define key topics for studying the future of AI and assess the use of AI by media organizations.

The second proposal is joint investment in designing and developing an open AI-based editorial management system. This system could provide tools for data searching, organization, speech transcription, translation, fact-checking, and multilingual content.

Rahmati concluded that through cooperation and respect for civilizational diversity, a common path can be chosen, and the question is what future media organizations will build with the help of AI.

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uzdaily.uzNovember 7, 16:20

World Media Summit Adopts Beijing Consensus on Artificial Intelligence

Participants of the seventh World Media Summit, held in Beijing, adopted the Beijing Consensus. Representatives from media organizations, think tanks, government agencies, as well as international and regional organizations, expressed readiness to cooperate to promote global media in the age of artificial intelligence. The summit took place from November 5 to 9 under the slogan 'Media in the Age of AI: From Consensus to Action.'

The adopted document notes that AI marks a new stage of technological and industrial transformation, changing people's ways of life and work, as well as the broader landscape of global development. Participants pledged to support the responsible and comprehensive use of AI in the media industry, ensuring that technological advancements benefit media organizations in all countries, regardless of their level of development. Furthermore, they called for objective and impartial reporting, efforts to combat disinformation, and the creation of channels for rational dialogue on global issues. Signatories intend to leverage the strengths of media, strengthen consensus among stakeholders, and turn cooperation into tangible results.

During the summit, Xinhua News Agency presented its Global Media Initiative and the Document on the Framework Program for Global Media Cooperation in AI. The agency also demonstrated its AI agent, 'Xinhua Yudian.'

Organization and Scale of the Event

The summit was jointly organized by Xinhua News Agency and the Municipal Government of Beijing. According to the organizers, about 500 representatives from nearly 330 organizations representing 112 countries and regions were invited. Guests included leading media organizations, think tanks, government bodies, the United Nations, and other international structures. The organizers aimed to set a record for the number of represented countries and organizations, as well as the level of delegates.

In the summit's conceptual document, the organizers characterize the international situation as complex and unstable. It defines overcoming development gaps, solving security problems, strengthening inter-civilizational exchanges, and improving global governance as common challenges for humanity. The authors argue that solving these tasks requires not only economic and technological potential but also cultural influence. They view the mission of media as connecting the world, promoting mutual understanding, and forming consensus.

The authors of the document emphasize that intelligent technologies are transforming the entire media workflow, from news gathering and content creation to distribution and management. These technologies can increase efficiency, diversify formats, and expand audience reach. However, the organizers point out that AI generates new challenges, including the spread of disinformation, increased algorithmic bias, and deepening the digital divide. Priorities for international media cooperation are named as technology exchange and capacity building, equal access for Global South countries, and safe, fair, and inclusive AI development.

Key Themes and Areas of Work

The summit program covers five thematic areas. The first is dedicated to AI-based solutions for news gathering, production, and distribution, as well as editorial room management. Participants discussed ways to encourage media organizations and technology companies to share multilingual text corpora, editorial tools, and training materials. Another important issue is ensuring accessible AI services for Global South countries and small media organizations. This session also addresses the topic of human oversight of AI-generated outputs and mutual recognition of standards for data security, content labeling, and algorithmic transparency.

The second theme concerns media cooperation in responding to non-traditional security threats, such as energy and food security, and climate change. Joint reporting and regular cooperation mechanisms for fact-checking, source tracking, and crisis communications are discussed. The third theme explores the role of AI in inter-civilizational interaction. Participants consider the possibility that AI could lead to the erosion of cultural differences and discuss how it can be used to strengthen local narratives and amplify diverse voices.

The fourth theme focuses on global communication governance. Media organizations discuss how they can establish acceptable boundaries for the use of AI agents and the labeling of deep learning-synthesized content. Discussions also cover content traceability, algorithmic transparency, and data security. A question under consideration is expanding the participation of Global South countries in rule-making. The fifth theme, 'Beijing Approach: Decoding China's Modernization,' is based on field visits focusing on the development of Beijing's sub-centers, the preservation of the historical capital, megacity management, and green development.

Among the expected outcomes listed in the conceptual document was the publication of the book 'AI Plus Media: Global Development Report 2026.' Organizers also planned to present a humanoid news anchor, which they called the first in the world. Other planned events included photo exhibitions, a presentation of a book on China's governance, and a digital tour 'China's Solutions for Sustainable Development.'

The World Media Summit was established in 2009 by Xinhua News Agency and several leading global media organizations. Over the past 17 years, six summits and four presidium meetings have been held in China, Russia, and Qatar. Under the auspices of the summit, Global Excellence Awards are presented, media training programs are organized, and charitable journalism initiatives are conducted. Organizers describe the summit as one of the largest global platforms for media cooperation, comparing it to the 'Olympics of Media.'

uzdaily.uzNovember 7, 16:00

Xinhua launches global initiative to develop AI usage standards in media

The Xinhua News Agency has initiated a Global Media Initiative aimed at jointly developing standards for the application of artificial intelligence in journalism. These standards were presented as a Document on Global Cooperation in Media and AI at the World Media Summit 2026.

The goal of this initiative is to promote experience exchange and cooperation in the responsible and standardized use of AI in journalism. Key areas of work include sharing practices, joint testing of solutions, collective research, and enhancing participants' professional skills. The initiative aims to help partners contribute by leveraging their strengths.

The first group of partners consists of eleven Chinese and eleven international organizations. Among the Chinese participants are entities such as People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, China Media Group, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, China Copyright Protection Centre, China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China National Institute of Standardization, and China Association of Printing Technology.

International partners include TASS, Vietnam News Agency, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Union of OIC News Agencies, Qatar News Agency, Independent Online (South Africa), La Nueva Televisión del Sur, Malaysian National News Agency, Agencia Peruana de Noticias Andina, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, and Tunis Afrique Presse.

The framework document is based on Xinhua's practical experience in creating a system of standards for using AI in the news industry. It is designed to facilitate the exchange of experience in risk management and the application of AI in areas such as data management, model deployment, and content security. Furthermore, the document seeks to establish communication channels between global media organizations and is presented as a voluntary reference guide.

A central principle of the document is that AI must remain an auxiliary tool, and ultimate responsibility for news content must remain with journalists. Media organizations are advised to adhere to journalistic ethics of truthfulness, combat AI hallucinations and disinformation, strengthen accuracy guarantees, and pay attention to testing and evaluating model capabilities. The importance of respecting cultural diversity and considering the different levels of development of media organizations is also emphasized, aiming to build a reliable and diverse global information environment.

The practical basis covers three key areas. The first is content labeling and provenance verification. Materials substantially created, rewritten, or synthesized with the help of AI must carry visible labels and embedded metadata. These labels must inform the audience about the use of AI, while the metadata must record the degree of AI involvement, the model version, and the creation time. For synthetic content with high risk, more robust anti-forgery measures are provided, including digital watermarks where appropriate. The framework structure also requires maintaining records at every stage of AI production, from prompts and source materials to edits by editors and reviewers. Labels must be retained upon content republication.

The second area is AI model evaluation. Xinhua's standard system for the news industry combines automated testing with professional journalistic expertise, which includes checking factual accuracy and logical coherence. Participants are urged to share evaluation tools and test scenarios that have been verified in real practice. Evaluations must be objective and impartial, results reproducible, and reports standardized.

The third area is security and risk management. The document provides a closed-loop risk management system covering pre-deployment assessment, access control, logging during operation, and post-implementation incident response. Before system operation begins, they must be tested for risks, including factual hallucinations, malicious prompt injection, deepfakes, and algorithmic bias. Clear operational boundaries and access rights must be established for AI agents and automated news systems, along with mechanisms for human intervention and emergency shutdown. AI-generated results can only be used as drafts or reference materials; all content intended for publication must undergo professional fact-checking across multiple sources. Using AI to fabricate quotes or event details is prohibited. Simulated or reconstructed multimedia materials must be clearly labeled and must not be presented as authentic on-site recordings. Personal data used in training and processing AI materials must be anonymized, and access to confidential materials must be strictly limited.

Participants may form a working group and an open review mechanism after consultations to ensure regular updates and improvements to the document. They are also encouraged to share practical experience from media operations and conduct joint case analyses. Participation formats, including practical implementation, case sharing, joint model evaluation, and thematic discussions, are voluntary. The document is not mandatory and is voluntary. Participants can adapt it to their local legal systems, and it imposes no obligations. Media organizations and specialized institutions worldwide are invited to join this initiative, and the document is expected to be updated periodically to reflect the development of AI technologies.