The 46th FIPP World Media Congress in Cascais, Portugal, was abuzz with discussions around artificial intelligence, with experts weighing in on its potential to transform the media landscape. However, the conversation was not without its notes of caution, with keynote speaker Dr. Seth Dobrin warning that AI is not a solution in search of a problem and that media companies must have clear KPIs and accountability in terms of ROI. Dobrin, a former Head of AI for IBM, also emphasized the need for media companies to have a clear understanding of the problem they’re trying to solve before jumping into AI solutions.
The Congress also delved into the legal and environmental implications of AI, with experts warning of potential biases and the need for companies to publish their ethical AI stance. The environmental impact of AI was also highlighted, with the staggering statistic that for every 25 prompts put into ChatGPT, it uses half a liter of water for cooling.
The debate on whether to partner with AI companies or sue them for training algorithms on copyrighted content also dominated the conversation, with some arguing for partnership and others advocating for a more cautious approach.
Ultimately, the Congress concluded that the power is in the hands of media companies to harness the potential of AI while avoiding its pitfalls.
