Pacific AI push puts people, languages and culture at the centre

Pacific leaders are pushing for stronger safeguards around artificial intelligence as the technology spreads across the region.

Pacific media are also working out how it can be used without losing human and cultural judgement.

The issue was discussed this week at the Pacific Media Summit in Savusavu, Fiji, where Pacific newsroom leaders and technology experts are looking at how AI can support journalism.

It is also being raised at the United Nations in New York where Pacific leaders and regional partners have called for stronger cooperation on digital connectivity, cybersecurity, data protection and the protection of Indigenous and traditional knowledge.

Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Divavesi Waqa joined Pacific leaders at a high-level dialogue on digital connectivity on the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week.

The discussions are guided by the regional Lagatoi Declaration on Digital Transformation and the Pacific's new position on responsible AI, which calls for technology to remain human-centred and aligned with Pacific values.

Delegates attend the Pacific Media Summit in Savusavu, Fiji, where media leaders are discussing AI, digital transformation, misinformation and the challenges facing Pacific journalism. Photo/Facebook/Fijian Media Association

In Fiji, Pacific Media Network Chief Executive Don Mann has been sharing how PMN is already using AI to support its Pacific-language news services.

Mann told Pacific Mornings host William Terite the system was developed with Google News AI Lab and is designed to help turn news material into broadcast-ready Pacific-language bulletins.

"We've developed that with Google. It's a closed system where we're getting to protect our data and we get to protect the sovereignty of our data," Mann said.

Watch Don Mann's full interview below.

The system uses PMN's editorial style guide, broadcast guidelines, language dictionaries and reference material to help produce translations suited to broadcasting.

Mann said material that could normally take a day to process can now be prepared in about 90 seconds, giving journalists more time for other work.

But he stressed that AI remains a tool, not a replacement for journalists or language experts.

"We're not replacing journalists. We're not replacing producers or language experts, but we're using the tool to support them," he said.

That approach is also being urged by Australian Associated Press Editor-in-Chief Andrew Drummond, who spoke at the Savusavu summit.

Drummond said journalists needed to understand how AI could be used in their newsrooms while keeping strong editorial controls.

Australian Associated Press Editor-in-Chief Andrew Drummond speaks at the Pacific Media Summit about the need for journalists to maintain editorial judgement and verification as AI changes newsrooms. Photo/PINA/Pacnews

"Be transparent. If you apply AI to your workflow, tell your audience. But most importantly, despite the technology at play, maintain your journalistic rigour. Don't simply accept what's put in front of you," he said.

Drummond said verification remained central as misinformation and disinformation continue to affect public trust.

ABC International Development Digital Transformation Advisor Grant Sherlock said Pacific newsrooms also needed to build digital skills across their organisations as more audiences move online.

“The digital lift must be a whole of organisation effort,” he said.

The experts agree the challenge is not simply keeping up with new technology but making sure it works for Pacific audiences, languages and communities.

Mann said first-language speakers still make the final decisions on the material produced through PMN's system.

Pacific Media Network Chief Executive Don Mann with ABC International Development Digital Transformation Advisor Grant Sherlock at the Pacific Media Summit in Fiji. Photo/PINA/Pacnews

"We don't say that it's 100 per cent accurate. AI helps us with the first heavy pass, and it doesn't replace expertise," he said.

The wider regional discussion comes as Pacific leaders push for digital systems that protect sovereignty, data and Indigenous knowledge while expanding access to technology.

For media organisations, that means finding a balance between using AI to save time and making sure the people who understand the language, culture and community remain at the centre of the journalism.

The 8th Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) Pacific Media Summit ends on Friday.