By Tupou Vaipulu Jr

Marking World Press Freedom Day today, a panel discussion on the impacts of 'Artificial Intelligence (AI) on press freedom was hosted by the Media Association of Tonga (MAT), during the National ICT Expo in Nuku’alofa.

World Press Freedom Day is held on 3 May every year.

Participants regcognised that AI is already used in Tonga, however its application as a tool, and its impact is not widely-understood. 

Tongan veteran journalist, George Lavaka, expressed reservations about the use of AI in news reporting, because it clashes with certain code of ethics for journalism. He noted that during his time teaching at the School of Journalism (before it was known as TNU), there was plagiarism involved with students using AI.

The President of Tonga Women in ICT (TWICT), Selu Kauvaka, said that AI Generators like ChatGBT can be very helpful in terms of quick searches and generating reports but there are disadvantages. She said that information provided by these AI Generators can be misleading or non-factual at times.

Tonga does not currently have any specific legislation for Artificial Intelligence. However, Tupou Vainikolo, a representative from the Attorney General’s Office, said that there is other legislation that can be used. “We can actually use the current Computers Crime Act of Tonga that was created in 2003, to prosecute individuals who commit crimes using AI,” she said.