'Not to be used by AI'

BY A STAFF REPORTER,Kathmandu, Aug. 28: Artificial intelligence has created a stir in the field of science and technology nowadays. By giving instructions to AI, it has now become possible to accelerate production processes without human labour. 

Patrakaritama AI (Using AI in Journalism), a book penned by journalists duo Ajay Sharma and Shiva Puri, stresses that using artificial intelligence in journalism makes your job easier. On the other hand, the book also urged journalists not to be used by AI.

Essentially, AI has posed the danger of displacing the jobs of musicians, translators, proofreaders, editors and proposal writers. 

While it has made the intellectual work easier, it is also rendering people lazy and devoid of creativity, since they no longer need to exercise their minds. With AI’s assistance, tasks can be accomplished more easily, but it cannot be relied upon completely.

“Verification and finalisation by the concerned individual remain essential,” the book notes. “If one becomes entirely dependent on AI, one must also bear the responsibility for any errors it produces.”

The writers underline the relationship between journalism and technology. "However, the search for the truth, pro-people voice and essence of social responsibility should remain alive. 

They should not be replaced at any rate," the writers profess in acknowledgement. "The AI is merely a tool for the journalists. They essentially take its aid to make their job easy."

The book contains eight chapters, each of which concludes with a summary. It not only outlines the advantages of AI but also highlights the risks associated with it.

Among the risks it mentions are the spread of false information, the absence of human sentiment and social values, threats to human employment, the possibility of biased information, and challenges to the preservation of mother tongues and local cultures.

The book also instructs journalists on which AI tools to use for particular tasks and how to use them. At the same time, it stresses that content produced with the aid of AI should be monitored and finalised only after thorough review.

Published by the Bagmati Province Government, the book includes prefaces by Dr. Kundan Aryal and Dr. Devraj Aryal. Similarly, Rebati Prasad Sapkota, Registrar at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law of the Bagmati Province Government, has written the publisher’s note.

Both Sharma and Puri hold Master’s degrees in journalism. Sharma is a sub-editor at Gorkhapatra National Daily, while Puri is an audio-visual editor.