More than 60 aspiring journalists attended a hands-on workshop on artificial intelligence at Netaji Subhas Open University. The programme was organised under the ADiRA initiative in collaboration with the Discipline of Journalism and Mass Communication, School of Humanities, NSOU.
The workshop aimed to prepare media students for the fast-changing, AI-based economy of 2025-26. ADiRA, which stands for AI for Digital Readiness and Advancement, is developed by DataLEADS. It is supported by the AI Opportunity Fund: Asia Pacific, a partnership between the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network, Google.org, and the Asian Development Bank.
The session was conducted by veteran trainer Joydeep Dasgupta. He introduced participants to key concepts like artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI. Students were also trained in prompt engineering, which was described as the blueprint for effective interaction with AI tools.
Mr Dasgupta explained that prompt engineering helps journalists move beyond basic online searches. By giving clear and structured instructions to AI systems, reporters can generate story ideas, organise research, and automate parts of their workflow. He stressed that AI can support creativity and speed, but human judgment remains important.
The workshop also introduced participants to several practical tools used in modern newsrooms. Google Pinpoint was presented as a powerful research platform that helps users search and analyse thousands of documents and audio files at once. NotebookLM was demonstrated as a tool that works with the journalist’s own uploaded documents and offers automatic citations. Perplexity AI was shown as a search-oriented chatbot that delivers real-time answers with sources.
A major part of the programme focused on ethical concerns. The trainer warned students about AI hallucinations, where systems generate incorrect and misleading information because of gaps and bias in the data. The growing threat of deepfakes and misinformation was also discussed in detail.
The ADiRA framework shows the need for strong ethical practices. Participants were motivated to guarantee transparency in their work, conduct regular bias checks, protect data with the help of encryption, and follow the clear professional guidelines. The message was clear that AI should help journalists, but not replace them.
The concept of superagency was introduced during the concluding session. It shows the ability to use AI as a powerful professional tool while maintaining responsibility and integrity. The organisers said that Indian journalists must only follow technological change and help to shape the future of media in a thoughtful and ethical way.
The workshop specialised in detailed presentations supported by informative slides. A discussion session followed, where students shared views and raised questions about the responsible use of AI in the field of journalism.
The programme ended with a formal vote of thanks. This marked the close of a day committed to learning, reflection, and the future of journalism in the age of artificial intelligence.