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‘AI cannot be curious. It has no heart’: UNESCO Bangkok convenes journalists to debate the future of the newsroom
As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the media landscape, journalists across South-East Asia are grappling with a fundamental question: If machines can already write, edit, and distribute content faster than most humans, what’s left that only a journalist can do?
That was the challenge posed at the opening of UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day 2025 event in Bangkok, co-hosted with the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) on 2 May. Titled Artificial Intelligence, Press Freedom & the Media, the panel brought together journalists, researchers, and AI specialists to discuss how emerging technologies are transforming newsrooms, editorial independence, and public trust. The discussion formed part of global commemorations for World Press Freedom Day, a moment to reflect on the rights journalism protects and the growing pressures it faces.
This year’s global theme, Reporting in the Brave New World, set the tone for events around the world, from New York and Nairobi to Seoul and Santiago. The phrase, borrowed from Aldous Huxley’s dystopian novel, may be overused in tech discourse, but Huxley’s connection to UNESCO is real: he was closely involved in its founding mission to foster peace through science, culture, and education. 'It fits,' said Joseph Hincks, Media and Communications Specialist at UNESCO Bangkok’s Communications and Information Unit. 'Because Generative AI is reshaping journalism and hammering on the doors of perception in ways few could have imagined just a few years ago.'
Two such developments were cited by panellist Associate Professor Pijitra Suppasawatgul of Chulalongkorn University: Thai newspaper The Nation’s adoption of an AI-generated news anchor, and a widely shared deepfake video falsely depicting the aftermath of the 28 March earthquake. While Pijitra noted AI-related risks ranging from misinformation to job displacement, she also pointed to possible revenue opportunities at a time of increasing budgetary pressures on the media. 'It could be an opportunity for the newsroom to make money to get the rights to information and sell to the AI platform, if they value the factual information that comes from journalists.'
At The Standard, a digital-first Thai news outlet launched in 2017, AI is already playing a central role. 'It’s the exploring stage,' said News Director Dr Nattha Komolvadhin, describing how the outlet has formed an 'AI strike team' of about 20 staff to share knowledge and test the value of tools like Perplexity and DeepSeek across different newsroom applications. AI is now routinely used to transcribe interviews, translate material, subtitle video clips, and assist with data gathering. 'But editors still have to check every detail,' she said. 'I’ve seen many mistakes.' She emphasized that The Standard considers its raw material—first-hand interviews and original reporting—as 'the currency of the company' and is exploring how to integrate AI use without compromising that intellectual capital.
Mike Raomanachai, Lead Trainer at Cofact Thailand and Vice-President for Southeast Asia at the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), stressed the need to build digital and media literacy as generative AI becomes more embedded in newsroom practice. Many Thai journalists, he said, are already using AI tools without a clear understanding of their limitations or ethical implications.
Joining virtually, Professor Charlie Beckett, Director of the JournalismAI project at the London School of Economics, said that the kind of experimentation taking place at The Standard is 'absolutely essential.' At a time when bad actors are already using generative AI to create clickbait, disinformation, and misleading—or just plain boring—stories, he said, journalists must become adept at using the same technology to augment their reporting, business models, and audience outreach. AI gives them the ability, for example to reformat content—into multi-lingual videos, for different social media audiences, or in audio, or text-first formats —in ways that make journalism more accessible and engaging for different audiences.
'AI cannot be curious. It cannot make judgments. It has no feelings of compassion or surprise. It has no sense of humour. It has no heart. And in fact, it has no real intelligence. It does not know what is true,' Beckett said. However, by using technology skillfully, newsrooms can enhance the value of their human work. 'That’s what’s going to stand out in the future.'
The panel also explored audience trust, deepfakes, and whether AI can help—or hinder—press freedom in politically restricted environments. UNESCO’s recent report warns of widening inequalities in the information ecosystem, with AI systems scraping publisher content without compensation and regulatory frameworks struggling to keep up.
To address these challenges, 91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ released several global instruments, including the and . In alignment with the UN's , these frameworks emphasize transparency, human rights, and fair compensation for content creators.
'Getting to the truth depends on people, not just technology,' Hincks said. 'People with judgment, scepticism, curiosity, and courage. Those are the people World Press Freedom Day honours.'
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