The Press Information Bureau (PIB), Ahmedabad, under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, organised a special media workshop in Gandhinagar under the “Varta” programme. The workshop focused on “Using AI for Creative Production and Using AI for Media and Television.” The event was attended by the Mayor of Gandhinagar, the Collector of Gandhinagar, the Director General of PIB and leading subject-matter experts from the field.

Inaugurating the programme, Gandhinagar Mayor Smt. Miraben Patel said that this is an era of technology and that AI is no longer limited to the IT sector. AI is creating new possibilities across various fields, including media, journalism, television, films, digital content, video production and social media. She said that under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India is making technology a tool for innovation and development through initiatives such as the ‘India AI Mission’. She added that, as the fourth pillar of democracy, it is important for the media to maintain truth, credibility and accountability, along with speed, in the face of false or misleading information.She further stressed the importance of fact-checking news, stating that unverified or misleading information can spread negativity in society and must be avoided.

Gandhinagar Collector Shri Ravindra Khatale, speaking about the ‘check and balance’ among the four pillars of democracy — the Executive, Legislature, Judiciary and Media — said that the media acts as a neutral observer in society. He noted that, in the past, conducting in-depth research and writing articles involved hours of reviewing books and verifying data. However, with the advent of AI tools, such research can now be carried out within minutes. AI can save journalists’ non-productive time, enabling them to focus more on creative aspects and on conveying the right message to society. He encouraged media professionals to upgrade their skills by using cutting-edge technology.

Director General, PIB Ahmedabad Shri Prashant Pathrabe, through practical examples, explained how inputs such as press conference videos, speeches and backgrounders can be fed into AI to make the process of filing daily news stories easier and faster. He further highlighted that AI-based search can provide more accurate and effective results for research, ratings, writing and tracing the history of sports and events compared to conventional Google searches. He said that the workshop organised by PIB aimed to provide media professionals with practical knowledge of AI applications in TV production, animation and films through hands-on tutorials and videos.

Subject expert at the workshop, Shri Joseph Joshy, Chief Technology Officer, IFSCA, said that newsrooms have undergone a significant transformation over the past decade. AI is now being extensively used for research, summarisation, transcription, translation, editing and idea generation. He noted that a journalist’s core skills are no longer limited to ‘typing speed’. Human capabilities such as judgement, verification and originality have now assumed greater importance. Referring to concepts such as ‘AI hallucination’, he cautioned that information generated by AI is not always 100 per cent accurate. Therefore, he emphasised that thorough verification of AI-generated content is essential.

The second subject expert, Shri Unmesh Dixit, Executive Director, Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA), spoke about the limitations of AI and the importance of human values. He emphasized that qualities such as curiosity, responsibility, judgement, context and empathy are inherent to human beings and cannot be replicated by AI. He highlighted the significant difference between technological emojis and genuine human emotions. Explaining AI in terms of ‘Artificial’ and ‘Alternate’, he said that no matter how far technology advances, it can never replace human emotions and reality.

A large number of journalists from print, electronic and digital media in Gandhinagar attended the workshop. The participants actively engaged in discussions on the practical applications of AI and raised questions on the subject. The programme was successfully organised by the team of the Press Information Bureau, Ahmedabad.

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