HAWANA 2025 Forum: Media Industry Told To Empower AI To Gain Competitive Edge
KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 (Bernama) -- The media industry has been urged to empower artificial intelligence (AI) by actively shaping its development and use to gain a competitive advantage.
FMT Sdn Bhd's head of Bahasa Malaysia and video unit, Zahrul Alam Yahya Shahir, said the media plays a crucial role in feeding the data that AI systems learn from.
Speaking at the HAWANA 2025 Media Forum today, he noted that AI performs best when trained on structured content, as the technology prefers content that clearly outlines the issue and explains the problem.
"The content that AI gives us comes from us. That's why I say it's time for us to empower AI with our content… the analytic content that we put into social media and whatnot.
"Don't be afraid with AI; we (the media) have long survived alongside it," he said at today's forum titled "AI & Media: Tool, Threat or Opportunity?".
He said that media practitioners should be the ones empowering AI, not the other way around.
Another panellist, Astro AWANI senior editor Nazri Kahar, emphasised that technologies such as AI should not be seen as a threat but an opportunity that the media industry must embrace.
He said journalism is at a critical crossroads, demanding that media practitioners quickly adapt to technological advancements.
"This is a crucial moment for us to seize the opportunity. We should not view technologies as enemies that will erase the media industry. Instead, we must set boundaries, adapt and move forward," he said.
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