LAHORE: The 3-day Sahafi Summit 2025 is set to commence tomorrow at the University of the Punjab, bringing together journalists, academics, and media experts to discuss the evolving role of artificial intelligence in journalism.
Organized in partnership with UNESCO, the International Programme for the Development of Communication, Media Matters for Democracy, the Initiative for Digital and Media Freedoms, and the Department of Media and Development Communication at PU, the summit will open with the recitation of the Holy Quran, Naat-e-Rasool-e-Maqbool (PBUH), and the national anthem.
Dr. Ayesha Ashfaq, Chairperson of the Department of Media and Development Communication, will deliver the welcome address, while Asad Baig, Founder and Executive Director of Media Matters for Democracy, will outline the summit’s objectives.
Keynote addresses will be delivered by senior journalist Mujeeb ur Rehman Shami, PU Pro Vice Chancellor Dr. Khalid Mehmood, and PU Vice Chancellor Dr. Muhammad Ali Shah. Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider will attend as the chief guest. Senior journalists Sohail Warraich and Salman Ghani, along with Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, are also among the key participants.
The first day’s sessions will explore “AI in Journalism: A Friend or a Foe, or Something in Between?” The second day will focus on “Ethics, Accountability, and Cultural Relevance” and “Individual Expression in the Age of AI,” while the third day will discuss “The Gendered Cost of Deepfakes and AI Manipulation.”
The summit will conclude with a session on “Reclaiming the Human Spirit of Journalism” and the launch of Pakistan’s first AI standards for journalism.
The summit emphasizes the balance between technological advancement and journalistic integrity, aiming to guide Pakistani newsrooms on the responsible adoption of AI while maintaining ethical standards, human oversight, and the public interest.
