South African media chairman calls for global AI ethics charter in Beijing

Iqbal Surve, chairman of South Africa’s Independent Media, has urged news organizations to establish ethics- and values-based rules for artificial intelligence, arguing that the absence of such safeguards could make the technology a destructive force in global narratives, particularly those concerning developing countries.

Speaking at the seventh World Media Summit in Beijing, Surve proposed that each media organization first create its own AI principles and code of conduct. Those rules could then provide the basis for shared guidelines, he said, alongside a global charter on AI and media cooperation.

In comments reported by Xinhua News Agency, Surve said technological advances were making it more difficult to distinguish genuine news from fabricated content, raising the importance of trusted journalism. He also argued that some Western outlets prioritize narratives that support the West and insufficiently represent developing-country and Global South perspectives.

His proposed response extended beyond newsroom rules. Surve called for summit participants, especially those from the Global South, to share information and technology; for closer ties between media groups and technology partners; and for global media platforms including video-sharing and social-media services. He said the summit’s six earlier editions had established a foundation for international exchange and that the focus should now be on concrete outcomes.

The gathering, co-hosted by Xinhua and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, runs through Nov. 9 under the theme “Media in the Intelligent Age: From Consensus to Action.” It has brought together nearly 500 delegates from about 330 media outlets, think tanks, government bodies and international organizations across 112 countries and regions. A summit sub-forum similarly called for intelligent technologies to be used for accurate, fair, authoritative and trustworthy reporting.

The appeal follows a continental action plan adopted by African journalist leaders in Addis Ababa last month, as covered in our earlier report, which placed editorial independence, labour protections and verification skills at the centre of responsible AI use in journalism.

Separately, the United Nations has warned that widely available AI is intensifying misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and other risks to the information ecosystem. Its Global Principles for Information Integrity call for AI systems to be designed, deployed and used safely, securely, responsibly and ethically while upholding human rights.