Press Council: AI Must Be Matched by Transparency and Accountability
Jakarta (ANTARA) – Abdul Manan, chairman of the Press Council’s Commission on Law and Legislation, said the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the media industry must be matched by transparency and accountability for every published journalistic work, in order to maintain public trust.
Abdul said AI should be used carefully in journalistic processes, particularly when the technology has a significant effect on the final news report.
“The media outlet is responsible, whether it uses AI or not. I think this is a general principle under the Press Law: the media is fully responsible if there is an ethical or legal problem, including when AI is used,” Abdul said at the 2026 United Tractors Journalists’ Workshop in Jakarta on Wednesday.
He said decisions about disclosing AI use should take into account the extent to which the technology affects published content. Using AI to generate ideas, for example, is different from using it to produce summaries, create images or edit videos, all of which can significantly affect the final journalistic work.
Abdul stressed that adopting AI does not absolve media organisations of responsibility for the information they publish. Media outlets remain accountable for their reporting, whether it was produced with AI assistance or without the technology.
He also cautioned that AI should be used as a tool rather than as a complete replacement for journalistic work. Information obtained through AI must be verified to prevent factual or substantive errors in reporting.
“I think this also reflects the challenges facing the media in using AI. It is important for business purposes, to create variety in distribution and engagement, but I think innovation in the newsroom is far more important for the media business. The core of the newsroom is journalistic work,” Abdul said.
In addition to accuracy, AI use must also take copyright into account. Images, videos and other material connected to the work of others must be used carefully, particularly when published as part of a journalistic product.
Abdul explained that the Press Council’s guidelines on AI use in journalism are based on the principles of the Journalistic Code of Ethics. One principle emphasised is the need for human involvement in news production, meaning that fully automated publication of news by AI is not yet ethically acceptable.
He said technology should continue to support journalism’s primary purpose: producing high-quality, accurate and meaningful news for the public.
In his view, transparency and verification are essential to maintaining public trust in the media. Repeated errors risk damaging the reputations of media organisations and journalists.