The Itanagar unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) organised a 'Varta' Media Outreach Programme in Pasighat, East Siang district, on Wednesday, bringing together journalists to discuss the opportunities and challenges that Artificial Intelligence presents to modern journalism.
The programme, held in collaboration with the Pasighat Press Club, drew enthusiastic participation from media professionals across the district — despite heavy rainfall throughout the day.
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Addressing the gathering, Utsav Parmar, Joint Director of the Central Bureau of Communication, Regional Office Itanagar, stressed the need to balance Artificial Intelligence with what he termed Natural Intelligence.
He noted that indigenous communities often carry strong natural intelligence that aids contextual understanding — something AI cannot replicate. The role of media, he argued, goes beyond distributing news to ensuring accuracy, clarity, and context.
His advice to journalists was direct: "Make AI your own agent; do not become an agent of AI."
Resource person Manish Awana, Assistant Professor at Rashtriya Raksha University, delivered a session focused on factual reliability and the inherent biases present in AI systems.
Awana pointed out a specific concern relevant to the region — many AI models have limited data representation from Northeast India, which can lead to contextual inaccuracies and computational bias in content generated about the area.
He urged journalists to treat AI-generated content with the same scrutiny as any other source, emphasising verification and fact-checking as non-negotiable practices.
The programme adopted a one-to-one discussion format, allowing journalists to raise specific questions about AI applications in their day-to-day reporting work.
Participants were also introduced to the PB-SHABD platform, a repository providing access to audio-visual content for media use, and discussed a range of contemporary issues facing the journalism profession.
Maksam Tayeng, President of the Pasighat Press Club, called on PIB to continue organising such programmes in the region, underlining their value in building media awareness and capacity.
The event concluded with PIB reaffirming its commitment to media outreach and capacity-building, particularly around emerging technologies.