WJC-2025 in Seoul: countering climate issues, disinformation in the AI era

Artificial intelligence is gradually but persistently penetrating deeper into all areas of our life. Engineering, agriculture, banking and financial sector, medicine, crime control, transport, cartography, communications… The media is no exception. AI helps journalists track and collect information, write and verify texts, create videos and images, analyse large amounts of data, and adapt content to readers’ preferences. But, like any other powerful tool, artificial intelligence is fraught with huge problems. Many states are now concerned about developing and implementing legislation to regulate the AI use. The CIS countries, including Belarus, advocate significant state control over the development and usage of artificial intelligence. But why is there so much excitement and how is AI harming people today?

During the conference

Artificial intelligence: changing our world

The World Journalists Conference 2025 (WJC 2025) in Seoul was devoted to two key topics: Shaping the Future of Journalism in the AI Media Era: Copyright and Ethical Challenges, and The Role of Journalism in Confronting Climate Change and Environmental Shifts.
More than sixty journalists from 50+ countries gathered in the South Korean capital, including Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Canada, China, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, the UAE, Oman, the United States, and Türkiye. The event was organised by the Journalists Association of Korea (JAK) with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea and the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Korea. 
In his video message to the participants, the Speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea, Woo Won Shik, expressed concern that the uncontrolled spread of disinformation and fake news puts journalism at risk. “In this spirit, the gathering of journalists from around the globe to tackle global challenges and explore the future of journalism is profoundly meaningful. Notably, the theme of the 2025 World Journalists Conference — The Role of Journalism in Confronting Climate Change and Environmental Shifts — is not only a pressing global concern but also a defining imperative of our era. 

From blistering heatwaves and devastating floods to landslides, droughts, and raging wildfires, the climate crisis threatens the survival of all life on Earth. This is not a challenge for a few nations alone — it demands a unified global response. 

At this critical moment, the vigilance and commitment of journalists worldwide are essential,” he stressed.
Woo Won Shik also expressed hope that the current conference in Seoul will serve as a meaningful platform for media representatives from around the world to share their efforts and experience in covering climate issues.
In turn, the President of the Journalists Association of Korea, Park Jong Hyun, noted that JAK strives to establish a constructive media dialogue, adding that the topics put forward for discussion are challenges that the international community and the media should work together to solve.

AI needs to be used wisely and carefully in the media

Journalists and experts on the conference called for enhanced international co-operation in order to cope with the serious challenges posed by the rapid development of artificial intelligence. 

“The media should have clear rules for the use of artificial intelligence. We cannot allow AI to replace human thinking and evaluation. International co-operation must be intensified to meet these new challenges. We all need to keep up with the development of technology and better understand artificial intelligence. AI is changing approaches to journalism, and this can increase the effectiveness of the media, but it also comes with risks. We need to use artificial intelligence wisely,” Yin Cao, from China Daily, is convinced. 

The journalist often uses AI tools in her work, and she shared her experience in this field at the conference. “Artificial intelligence can be very dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. It can be used to create fake identities, manipulate images, and even spread false information. It is necessary to double-check the content created with the help of AI very carefully before publishing. Journalists should also be honest with their audience when they use artificial intelligence. If an article is partially written with the help of AI, then we need to inform people about it,” Yin Cao added. 
Hwang Seok Ha, from Busan Daily News (Korea), supported his colleague. “Generative AI is already organically integrated into various aspects of news production, including translation, data analysis and article writing, which has significantly increased the effectiveness of journalistic work. However, while AI provides significant benefits for the media industry, it has also raised ethical and legal issues that need to be addressed urgently. In particular, it is necessary to study how to ensure the accuracy and reliability of information generated by AI, how reports and articles created with the help of AI can comply with the fundamental principles of journalism, and how unauthorised use of AI in creating news content for educational purposes should be regulated,” the Korean journalist said, adding that it is extremely important not to blindly trust the results obtained with the help of AI.

“For example, ChatGPT can sometimes produce inaccurate information — a phenomenon known as ‘hallucination’, when artificial intelligence generates misleading data or completely false content. For this reason, checking the materials obtained with the help of AI for compliance with verified authoritative sources is absolutely necessary to ensure accuracy and journalistic honesty,” the media expert added.

The 2025 World Journalists Conference delegates came to a common opinion: AI is an important modern and effective tool, and there is no need to be afraid of tools. It is important to develop clear rules for the use of AI, ensure regular training of specialists and users as technology develops, as well as transparency in its application. Media literacy and critical thinking are crucial for everyone — journalists and the public — especially in a world of manipulated content.

Seoul

Role of Journalism in Confronting Climate Change 

During the second part of the discussion, the conference delegates underlined the importance of speaking about climate in terms of its effects on the national security. As it was stated, climate change became a driver of geopolitics — whether it is the melting of polar ice cap in the Arctic, natural disasters, droughts and food insecurity that lead to mass migration. 
Some interesting facts. The US National Security and Intelligence Assessment in 2008 had it this way: ‘Global climate change will have wide-ranging implications for U.S. national security interests over the next 20 years... The United States depends on a smooth functioning international system ensuring the flow of trade and market access to critical raw materials such as oil and gas, and security for its allies and partners...’ 
In 2015 the White House national security strategy read: ‘Climate change is an urgent and growing threat to our national security, contributing to increased natural disasters, refugee flows, and conflicts over basic resources like food and water. The present day effects of climate change are being felt from the Arctic to the Midwest. Increased sea levels and storm surges threaten coastal regions, infrastructure, and property’. 
The participants of the international meeting shared the experience in solving environmental problems and coverage in the media in their countries.
Tsegahun Asefa Shimekit, Senior News Editor on NBC Ethiopia TV, underlined that journalism plays a fundamental role in raising awareness on climate issues. The speaker emphasised the importance of science-based reporting amid growing environmental challenges and voiced concern over the rapid spread of misinformation fuelled by artificial intelligence and social media.  

Apart from participating in discussions on current media topics, the 2025 World Journalists Conference delegates had an opportunity to get acquainted with Korea’s rich cultural heritage and the flavour of South Korean cities. In particular, they visited the demilitarised zone that divides the Korean Peninsula in half (north and south), Jeju City on picturesque Jeju Island, Incheon City (important transport hub), as well as Anseong, Suwon and Siheung (cities in Gyeonggi Province).

By Marta Astreiko

Photos by Marta Astreiko