A new worldwide initiative aims to ensure that AI is safe, reliable and beneficial for the news ecosystem and the public.

Thousands of public and private news media worldwide have joined the initiative by the European Broadcasting Union and WAN-Ifra. The initiative – News Integrity in the Age of AI – proposes five key principles for a joint code of practice, inviting technology platforms to open dialogue and cooperation with media companies to counter the misinformation crisis and protect the value of trusted news.

EBU president and chief executive of France Télévisions Delphine Ernotte says members believe in actively shaping the future by focusing on innovation, people, public values and responsibility.

“To make AI work for everyone, we need collaboration – by media outlets, the public, policymakers and tech companies – and plenty of positive action.”

New president of the WAN-Ifra and Ringier head of media Ladina Heimgartner, commented: “We can make this work – but only together.

“Organisations and institutions that see truth and facts as the desirable core of a democracy and the foundation of an empowered society should now come together at one table to shape the next era.”

The five steps to preserve news integrity in the age of AI – made public during the three-day World News Media Congress in Kraków – cover principles of consent, fairness, dialogue and other areas of engagement with tech companies:

-news content must only be used in Generative AI models and tools with the authorisation of the originator;

-the value of up-to-date, high-quality news content must be fairly recognised when it’s used to benefit third parties;

-accuracy and attribution matter. The original news source underlying AI-generated material must be apparent and accessible to citizens;

-harnessing the plurality of the news media will deliver significant benefits for AI-driven tools;

-technology companies are invited to enter a formal dialogue with news organisations to develop standards of safety, accuracy and transparency.

The principles have gained extra reach with endorsements from the North American Broadcasters Association, Alianza Informativa Latinoamericana, Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union and media association FIPP.

Pictured: The ICE Krakow Congress Centre