Officials at the launch of the Plan on ASEAN-China New Media Exchange Programme. — VNA/VNS Photo Công Tuyên

BEIJING — Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Phan Tâm underscored the importance of responsible AI application in line with professional ethics and societal interests, at a plenary session on digital transformation and AI in journalism, held as part of the annual ASEAN-China media cooperation forum, which opened in Henan Province, China, on Sunday.

The deputy minister noted that Việt Nam had deployed multiple AI-driven solutions in journalism, such as automated editing, public opinion trend analysis, and fact-checking, but had consistently placed these activities within a strict legal and ethical framework.

He stressed that no country could tackle all AI-related challenges alone, and called for joint efforts in building ethical frameworks, codes of conduct, and AI-powered fact-checking systems. The Vietnamese official also proposed concrete cooperation through joint training programmes, development of smart newsroom tools, and creation of a regional fact-checking platform leveraging big data.

Affirming the notable achievements in ASEAN-China media cooperation to date, Deputy Minister Tâm expressed confidence that, in this new phase, both sides could expand collaboration into AI-driven journalism, establishing it as a strategic pillar toward building a regional information community with technological capacity, ethical foundations, and a constructive voice in the global media landscape.

He affirmed Việt Nam’s strong commitment to working closely with ASEAN and Chinese partners in this direction, under the spirit of cooperation, responsibility, and mutual respect.

The forum gathered over 150 delegates from national media agencies, research institutions, media-tech companies, and government representatives from ASEAN countries and China. A key highlight this year was the launch of the ASEAN–China media initiative, featuring four major goals.

They are promoting two-way media connectivity, enhancing journalism training and exchanges, fostering collaboration in digital transformation and emerging technologies, and building a network of regional media partners.

On the sidelines of the forum, there were exhibitions of emerging media technologies, bilateral partnership networking sessions, signing of cooperation pacts, and a series of thematic panel discussions. — VNA/VNS