Why the Paris Charter on AI and Journalism is important

The first of its kind, it defines ethics and principles that journalists, newsrooms and media outlets around the world will be able to appropriate and apply in their work with artificial intelligence.

Work on the Paris Charter on AI and Journalism was launched in July 2023 in partnership with civil society organisations, experts in artificial intelligence, media representatives and journalists. Five months later, RSF and its partners are publishing the Charter today (10th November) at the Paris Peace Forum.

The charter was written by a commission that was brought together by RSF and was chaired by Maria Ressa, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021. The commission comprised 32 prominent persons from 20 countries who are journalism or AI specialists. The goal was clear – to determine a set of fundamental ethical principles to protect the integrity of news and information in the AI age when these technologies are poised to transform the media industry.

"AI exacerbates what is already an existential moment for journalism. While it promises new opportunities, it also brings significant threats to the integrity of information. Technological innovation doesn’t inherently lead to progress: it must be steered by ethics to truly benefit humanity. To safeguard the right to information, journalists and news organisations must join forces to ensure ethics guide the governance and use of the most transformative technology of our time. The Paris Charter on AI and Journalism is a significant step towards this goal.

-Maria Ressa, Rappler founder and CEO, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate

Many organisations linked to the media of very different kinds came together in an unprecedented manner to support the efforts of the commission and RSF. They included leading organisations that defend journalism and the media (CPJ, CJF, DW Akademie, EJC, EJN, FPU, GFMD, IPI, Pulitzer Center), a federation of journalists (EFJ), organisations that represent news publishers (ENPA) and TV broadcasters (ABU and EBU), an ICT research center (CIPESA) and investigative journalism consortia (GIJN, ICIJ and OCCRP).

In response to the turmoil that AI has created in the news and information arena, the Charter defines ten key principles for safeguarding the integrity of information and preserving journalism’s social role. Inter alia, the core principles state:

• Ethics must govern technological choices within the media;
• A human agency must continue to be central in editorial decisions;
• The media must help society to distinguish between authentic and synthetic content with confidence.
• The media must participate in global AI governance and defend the viability of journalism when negotiating with tech companies.

“When technological innovation is there we should embrace the benefits but be mindful of the threats it will bring to society in general and to journalism specifically. An ethical foundation, connected to the basic principles of journalism, is crucial for societies to remain informed in order to facilitate good decision-making based on facts. We should know whether the content is synthetic or authentic. We cannot lean back and wait to see what this will bring or what it will destroy. It is therefore great to see some of the main organisations, specialists in AI and journalism come together and take the initiative and lead the way forward with this charter”.

-Lars Boering, Director European Journalism Centre

Technologies based on artificial intelligence offer unprecedented new perspectives but also pose unprecedented challenges for journalism.

 At a time when deepfakes could amplify disinformation and shatter public trust in all audio-visual content, and when language models are liable to increase productivity at the expense of the integrity of news and information, media affirm by endorsing this Charter that they will not allow new technology to divert them from their mission of serving the public interest. The Charter promotes an approach in which human judgment and journalistic ethics constitute the pillars of journalism’s social function as a trusted third party.

“Artificial intelligence could provide remarkable services to humanity but it clearly has the potential to amplify the manipulation of minds to proportions unprecedented in history. The Paris Charter is the first international ethical benchmark for AI and journalism. Factual evidence, a clear distinction between authentic and synthetic content, editorial independence and human responsibility will be the primary guarantees for the right to reliable news and information in the AI era. More than ever, journalism requires a sound and widely recognised ethical foundation. Together with our partners, we call on reporters, editors and news organisations around the world to take ownership of these principles, to proclaim them, and to implement them in what they do.”

-Christophe Deloire RSF secretary-general

Committee Members :

Maria Ressa (Chair), 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, journalist and founder of Rappler Media (Philippines)
Charlie Beckett, Professor at the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics (United Kingdom)
Emily Bell, Professor at the Columbia School of Journalism and Director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism (United States)
Veysel Binbay, Director of Technology at the Asian Broadcasting Union (ABU) (Malaysia)
Lars Boering, director of the European Journalism Centre (EJC) (Netherlands)
Lisa Campbell, Director of Corporate Communications at Independent Television Network (ITN) (United Kingdom)
Phil Chetwynd, Global News Director at Agence France-Presse (AFP), (United Kingdom)
Nighat Dad, Executive Director of the Digital Rights Foundation (Pakistan)
Renée Diresta, Research Manager at Stanford Internet Observatory (United States)
Emilia Díaz-Struck, Executive Director at Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) (Venezuela)
Kathy English, Chair of the Canadian Journalism Foundation (Canada)
Camille François, Lecturer in International and Public Affairs, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (France)
Jodie Ginsberg, President of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (United States)
Ruth Kronenburg, Executive Director of Free Press Unlimited (Netherlands)
Justyna Kurczabinska, Head of News Strategy and Transformation, European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
Jan Lublinski, director of Policy and Learning, DW Akademie, Deutsche Welle (Germany)
Gary Marcus, Professor emeritus of psychology and neural science at New York University, author and entrepreneur (United States)
Frane Maroevic, Executive Director of the International Press Institute (IPI) (Austria)
Mira Milosevic, Executive Director of the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) (Serbia)
Hanna Möllers, General Counsel of the German Federation of Journalists (DJV) (Germany)
Tabani Moyo, Convenor of International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), Regional Director of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) (Zimbabwe)
Bruno Patino, President of the Franco-German channel Arte (France)
Paul Radu, Co-founder of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) (Romania)
Martha C. Ramos Sosa, President of the World Editors Forum at the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) (Mexico)
Stuart Russell, Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley and founder of the Center for Human-compatible AI (CHAI) (United States)
Gerard Ryle, Director of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) (Ireland)
Eric Scherer, Chair, of the News Committee at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Director of the News MediaLab and International Affairs at France Télévisions (France)
Anya Schiffrin, Senior Lecturer in Discipline of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (United States)
Wairagala Wakabi, Executive Director of the Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) (Uganda)
Marina Walker Guevara, executive director of the Pulitzer Center (United States)
Aidan White, founder of the Ethical Journalism Network (EJN) and former Secretary General of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) (United Kingdom)
Antonio Zappulla, CEO of the Thomson Reuters Foundation (Italy)

Commission Rapporteur: Arthur Grimonpont, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) (France)

List of partner organisations:
  

Initiator:
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
  

Partners:
Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU)
Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)
Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF)
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
DW Akademie
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
European Journalism Centre (EJC)
Ethical Journalism Network (EJN)
European Broadcasting Union (EBU)

European Newspaper Publishers’ Association (ENPA)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN)
Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)
International Press Institute (IPI)
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)

Pulitzer Centre
Thomson Foundation

Organisations consulted:
European Publishers Council (EPC)