NEW DELHI: The Committee to Protect Journalists urges India’s Maharashtra state authorities to consult with journalists and media groups to ensure that its plan to use artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor media coverage and correct “negative” reports does not undermine press freedom.
According to a March 6 Government Resolution approving the release of funds, a new 100 million-rupee (US$1.2 million) media monitoring center will track print, electronic, digital, and social media news reports about western Maharashtra’s state government and classify them as either “positive” or “negative.” A private consulting agency will analyze the coverage and compile reports for state authorities.
“Maharashtra state’s AI-driven media monitoring plan raises serious concerns about press freedom and the potential for government overreach,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi. “The government’s intention to monitor and pursue media outlets producing news that the government classifies as ‘negative’ could increase the risk of self-censorship and deter journalists from investing in critical reporting. The Maharashtra government must commit to protecting press freedom and come clean about the purpose and scope of this plan.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the center did not seek to control the media but would provide “the truth about it or the facts” to reporters who produce “negative news.” In 2023, India’s central government set up a fact check unit with the power to take down online content that it deemed “fake, false, or misleading” about the government. In September, Bombay High Court struck down the move as unconstitutional.
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