HNLU Hosts Workshop On 'Shaping Truths: The Nexus Of Media, AI And Human Rights'

There were three thematic sessions designed in the workshop to engage officials, journalists, academicians and students of mass communication & Law in discussions on the ethical and human rights implications of AI in the media. Set against the backdrop of HNLU's mission to engage with contemporary challenges and constitutional values, the workshop served as a platform for dialogue, learning, and innovative exploration of AI's transformative potential and ethical challenges in media and communication.

The workshop opened with the first session titled "Manufacturing Consent: AI-Driven Amplification," led by Prof. (Dr.) V.C. Vivekanandan, Vice Chancellor of HNLU. He said, “Social Media are just technologies that facilitate conversations. AI systems are designed to optimize for certain outcomes. It can be engaged even for prioritizing sensationalist or polarizing content. AI's role in this context is to algorithmically promote content that generates the most engagement, however, it has a potential to amplify misinformation, echo chambers and diverse narratives which needs to be guarded”.

Following this, the second session was conducted by Mr. John Joseph, Former Coordinating Editor, Raipur at The Times of India on the topic "AI-Driven Journalism: Balancing Innovation with Ethical Reporting,". The session emphasized the importance of a balanced partnership between AI and human judgment to ensure accuracy, fairness, and ethical standards in reporting. He suggested that in case of an AI-generated information there should be clear labeling to uphold accountability. He added, “AI can transform every industry & sector. Therefore ethics and transparency are important. The humans at the centre of AI processes. Thus, technology should serve humanity—not the other way around.”

The last session, titled "Deep Fakes and Media Manipulation," was delivered by Dr. Deepak Kumar Srivastava, Director of the School of Law & Governance at HNLU. He stated, “deepfakes contributes to the broader phenomenon of media manipulation. This technology, combined with the viral nature of social media, has created a storm of disinformation. Therefore, there is a need to educate the public about the media content they consume.”

The event was attended by Public Relations Officers from different Departments of Government of Chhattisgarh, media personnels, faculty members from AAFT University of Media & Arts and students from different Universities across the country.