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Echoing this, Dr Md Saiful Alam Chowdhury, associate professor at Dhaka University, warned that seeking government regulation, given the authorities’ current level of AI literacy, could invite disaster.

Journalist Talat Mamun suggested that if 10 to 15 leading media houses set their own AI standards, it would create a trend, allowing the sector to self-regulate effectively.

MRDI Executive Director Hasibur Rahman outlined plans to develop a comprehensive AI guideline applicable to print, online, and television platforms, which any media organisation could adopt with ease.

Speakers also highlighted current AI applications in Bangladeshi media.

Shawkat noted that the 60-word news summaries in Prothom Alo’s “Shorts” app are almost entirely AI-generated. Yet, a lack of AI training among journalists remains a critical concern.

Kamal Ahmed, consulting editor at The Daily Star, said, “We are still far behind in using AI. But we cannot remain detached from this train. No matter how late, we have to get on board.”

Md Al Mamun, country director of BBC Media Action, stressed the importance of major investments in AI training, warning that unskilled oversight could result in significant errors.

Dr Sumon Rahman of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) highlighted the intellectual necessity of mastering “prompt writing” to avoid bias and misinformation.

Dr Susan Vize, Unesco representative in Bangladesh, described the UN’s role in training journalists on AI tools, noting that around 3,500 journalists were trained alongside the Press Institute Bangladesh before the elections.

“I was actually a little bit surprised at the lack of knowledge of many of these people about AI,” she said.

She stressed the urgent need for localised, flexible codes of practice in Bangladesh and suggested that regional examples, such as those in Southeast Europe, could provide guidance to balance AI-driven efficiency with accountability and reliability.