KUCHING, Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be among the topics discussed at the inaugural Sarawak Media Conference (SMEC) 2024, which will be held in conjunction with the National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) celebration from May 25 to 27. Kuching Division Journalists' Association (KDJA) president Ronnie Teo said AI was chosen as a topic since Malaysia is proactively pushing forward to master the technology, which led to an increased demand for media practitioners to have a better understanding of the ethical aspects when utilising AI. 'Since AI is a new technology in today's world, we want to invite experts to talk about ethics in using AI, especially in journalism and the legal framework surrounding it,' he said to Bernama here today. Themed 'Evolution of Media in the Digital Era', the two-day conference starting May 26 is expected to attract 600 participants, including notable local and foreign speakers. Apart from AI, Teo said SMEC 2024 will also focus on relevant matters such as data journalism, social media engagement, and online or netizen journalism. 'We hope the topics will help address the issues that we are facing in the media industry, including how we can elevate ourselves in terms of digital and ethics,' he said, adding that SMEC 2024 will be among the highlights of HAWANA 2024. Over 1,000 media practitioners, representatives from local journalist associations, as well as media representatives from ASEAN member countries, are invited to attend HAWANA 2024, which serves as a significant platform for professional media fraternity and industry experts to exchange ideas and establish strategic relationships. Themed 'Etika Teras Kewartawanan Mapan', the largest annual gathering of Malaysian journalists this year is organised by the Communications Ministry in collaboration with the Sarawak State Government, with Bernama being the implementing agency. Source: BERNAMA News Agency