Applying AI in journalism requires strategic thinking

On June 20, speaking at the discussion session "Artificial intelligence and digital transformation strategy of Vietnamese press offices" of the National Press Forum 2025, many experts said that to effectively apply artificial intelligence (AI), press agencies need to shift from instrumental thinking to strategic thinking, changing the press production and business model in the digital age.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Dong, Director of the Institute for Policy Research and Media Development, spoke at the Forum. (Photo: Duc Anh)

Mr. Nguyen Quang Dong, Director of the Institute for Policy Studies and Media Development (IPS), said that according to a survey by IPS and the Vietnam Journalists Association and the Vietnam Digital Communications Association, the rate of press agencies that have applied AI or have plans to apply it has doubled compared to 2023, reaching more than 60% in 2024. However, most current AI applications still focus on content production stages such as suggesting, editing headlines and summarizing information, editing, checking spelling, creating images/videos or translating.

The application of AI in further research activities or to serve business problems and analyze reader behavior is very low. This shows that the focus is mainly on the individual role of journalists, instead of the strategic direction of the entire newsroom. The most used AI tools are ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and internal software. The investment cost for AI of newsrooms is still very low, mostly under 1 million VND/month or using the free version.

According to Mr. Nguyen Quang Dong, the three major issues affecting the effectiveness of AI application in Vietnamese press agencies are: Wrong focus (focusing on content production instead of focusing on business model, understanding readers and generating revenue); lack of overall strategy (AI application is still spontaneous, at the individual or department level, not at the organizational level); lack of resources (including finance and AI-savvy personnel). Collecting, storing and analyzing reader behavior data to personalize content is also a big challenge.

Discussion session on “Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation Strategy of Vietnamese Press Offices” of the National Press Forum 2025. (Photo: Duc Anh)

According to Mr. Nguyen Quang Dong, to overcome current challenges, press agencies need to approach artificial intelligence comprehensively and strategically. The application of AI is not only to optimize the news production process, but also an important tool to attract, retain readers and expand new revenue sources in the context of declining traditional advertising, traffic shifting from search engines to synthetic AI platforms. Each newsroom needs to develop an overall strategy for AI application, including a technology investment plan, production organization process and clear internal policies. Along with that, risk management and ensuring ethics in the use of AI are mandatory requirements. Mr. Dong also proposed that the Vietnam Journalists Association should issue a set of rules for responsible use of AI, as a basis for general orientation for the entire press industry.

According to Mr. Le Anh Dung, Deputy Director of Technology at Got It Vietnam, developing and maintaining an AI model requires large resources, both in terms of hardware and research team. He suggested a more feasible direction is to use services from large technology corporations to save costs and ensure updates to new technologies.

At the end of the discussion, the experts agreed that the biggest bottleneck today is not the tools, but the way the press poses the development problem. Only when strategic thinking and proper investment are established, can the press adapt, transform effectively and develop sustainably in the age of artificial intelligence.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/ung-dung-ai-trong-bao-chi-can-tu-duy-chien-luoc-214349.html