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Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more important in the U.S., but its impact is being felt around the world as well, even in the field of journalism.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly gaining importance not only in the U.S. but also globally, with its influence extending significantly into the field of journalism and presenting new challenges and opportunities worldwide.
University of Wyoming alumnus Askhat Yerkimbay is set to present “Building AI Tools for Newsrooms: Lessons from Kazakhstan” on August 10. His discussion will feature findings from his study, “Rapid Media Mapping of Kazakh-Language Regional Media,” conducted for Internews, along with preliminary results from his work helping small independent newsrooms in Kazakhstan adopt AI tools.
Yerkimbay observed that while AI platforms like ChatGPT rapidly became popular search terms in Kazakhstan, technology and artificial intelligence were largely absent from the published coverage of participating newsrooms, indicating a disconnect where the audience's engagement with AI outpaced the newsrooms' integration.
Following his research findings, Yerkimbay took the initiative to develop affordable AI tools specifically tailored for small, independent newsrooms in Kazakhstan, empowering them to build and utilize their own AI systems.
A key focus of Yerkimbay’s presentation will be the complexities of introducing AI tools primarily developed in English into news environments that publish in Kazakh. Kazakh is classified as a low-resource language for AI training due to the relatively limited collection of Kazakh-language material available online.
The presentation will elaborate on why a clear and precise editorial brief is often more crucial for the successful implementation and ethical use of AI tools in newsrooms than the inherent sophistication or capabilities of the AI model itself.
Yerkimbay will emphasize the importance of treating financial cost as a fundamental design constraint when developing and integrating AI solutions, particularly for newsrooms that frequently face significant challenges related to funding and equipment availability.
Drawing insights from an unsuccessful past project, the presentation will demonstrate why merely including a disclaimer is often an inadequate safeguard when journalistic content features AI-generated imagery, highlighting the need for more robust ethical considerations.
Askhat Yerkimbay earned his master’s degree in communication from the UW Department of Communication and Journalism in 2013 and is now a senior lecturer at SDU University in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He notes that his UW education equipped him to cover vast, sparsely populated regions, which is relevant to Kazakhstan. He also facilitated cooperative agreements between UW's Department of Communication and Journalism and Kazakh National University and SDU University, fostering academic exchange in journalism and technology.