Press holds another new role amidst the emergence of citizen journalism as the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence AI). This particular topic was discussed in the Journalistic Oration by the Rector of Universitas Dian Nuswatoro (Udinus), Prof. Dr. Pulung Nurtantio Andono, S.T., M.Kom., during the 2025 National Press Day Reception and the 79th Anniversary of the Indonesian Reporters Association of the Central Java Branch.

The event took place at the Regent House of Blora Regency, on Saturday, February 15, 2025, with dozens of reporters from Central Java attending it. With the theme of ‘Developing Reporters with Moral Values as a Tenet for the Nation.’ On that occasion, Prof. Pulung stole the spotlight by stating some Javanese philosophies and describing the role of the press through a story involving Wayang or a traditional Javanese puppet show.

The rector conveyed a Javanese idiom, namely Suro Diro Jayaningrat, Lebur Dening Pangastuti to represent AI. It means that every vanity of technology can be mended with compassion and wisdom. “There, AI-powered robots must be held dear, instead of being seen as adversaries,” Prof. Pulung, also known as the Young Rector , emphasized.

The rector explained that the whole world was currently witnessing the development of the press industry at a rapid and significant pace. On the other hand, social media, AI, and the internet can simplify the general public in accessing any form of information, for example, a recipe for a specific food can be accessed within seconds. 

“With this technology, the general public can be citizen journalists with only their smartphones. It is undoubtedly a good thing, but the information can also be an object to be skepticized. Here, the press holds the additional role of ensuring the information can also not be quick but also accurate,” he uttered.

Despite the emergence of these new challenges, the rector added that AI helped journalists publish more news articles routinely, with examples being soccer match scores and stock market data. This is because these two things can be automatized. 

“However, this automatization also needs an operator who understands the data they processed. So, the analogy is that when you cook food, you need to also make sure that none of the ingredients are in bad condition to achieve the best taste. Therefore, it is important to ensure to give the correct data to the AI, as well as ensure that the data represent all societal layers,” the Young Rector uttered.

Challenges Amidst the Development of AI

Another challenge within the realm of AI is the deepfake technology. It is a feature that allows one to create videos, images, and voices, to resemble those of other people. The rector revealed that the technology indeed aimed to serve as a form of entertainment, creating some kind of videos or parodies. “This technology can be fearful if it were to be abused to convey misinformation or even scams. So, I have to emphasize once more that the press here must be the frontline in classifying which one is true and false,” he encouraged.

The rector added that hoaxes are usually spread like mosquitoes during the rainy season, irritating and causing public outrage. For example, in the epic of Mahabharata, Resi Drona is depicted as a figure who received misinformation, allowing him to be lost and change the course of history. “Moreover, nowadays, information can be forwarded through WhatsApp even faster than Arjuna’s arrow. This can be interpreted as the press hold Memayu Hayuning Bawana as its responsibility, which means world’s beauty and harmony,” the rector highlighted.

The rector advised the press to not exaggerate sensational news for clicks, but instead, it needs to also prioritize quality news for the good of the public.

The Role of Academicians in Responding to the Challenges Within the Realm of AI

With the emergence of challenges, the rector stated that academicians held the same responsibility as the press, with the addition of preventing the abuse of AI. For example, academicians can come up with the idea of a device used to detect deepfakes, analyze big data, and reinforce the methodology of fact-checking. 

The Computer Science Faculty at Udinus has also had updated curricula specifically to handle the challenges within the realm of AI. “We instruct our students to understand full well about AI, or we even specifically instruct our students to be capable of handling social media algorithms,” the rector concluded.

In addition to media crews, the oration was also attended by Arief Rohman—the Regent of Blora, Sasongko Tedjo—a Council Member from the Headquarters of the Indonesian Reporters Association, Amir Machmud—the Head of the Indonesian Reporters Association of the Central Java Branch. In addition, several partners, staff members, and representatives from the Indonesian Reporters Association were also present, as well as representatives consisting of government assistants and the public welfare division staff members. The Acting Governor of Central Java, Ema Rachmawati, was also present. (Humas Udinus/Haris Foto: Humas Udinus)