Cambodia's Information Minister Warns Against AI Over-reliance, Stresses News Quality

AKP Phnom Penh, July 31, 2026 -- Cambodian Information Minister H.E. Neth Pheaktra emphasized Friday that strengthening news quality must be a top priority for the media, declaring that while "the customer is king" in general business, content remains supreme in journalism. "Content is king in our media sector. It determines whether our news attracts audiences or fails to do so," H.E. Neth Pheaktra said during the opening ceremony of the 9th Capacity Building Workshop for Journalists at the Ministry of Information. The workshop, organised jointly by three press associations – the Global Peace Journalism Federation Association, the Youth Journalism Federation Association for Peace, and the Federation of Journalists Association in Peace – gathered 180 media personnel from 50 outlets. The initiative has so far trained a total of 1,441 journalists across its nine sessions. This latest training focused on two key areas: artificial intelligence literacy and responsible AI utilisation for journalists, alongside media reporting standards during crises and conflict. H.E. Neth Pheaktra praised the collaboration among the associations, noting that continuous professional development aligns journalism with rapid societal changes and technical evolutions. Addressing the growing integration of AI in newsrooms, the Minister cautioned journalists against over-relying on automated tools. "We must enhance our capabilities in this digital framework, but we should not blindly trust AI," he noted. "AI was created by humans and does not know everything. If journalists rely on AI to generate articles on their behalf, AI will not be held accountable for errors – the individual journalist or publisher remains solely responsible." He further underscored the necessity of information security, framing it around two primary pillars: guaranteeing the public's full right to comprehensive information and continuously improving the standard of published news to ensure it serves a clear public interest. The Minister highlighted Cambodia's expanding digital footprint, noting that out of a population of approximately 17 million, the country counts around 15 million active Facebook accounts and roughly 10 million TikTok accounts, which have gained immense popularity over the past four years. By K. Rithy Reak