Assoc. Prof. Dr Chang Teck Peng delivered a keynote address at the 58th Annual Conference of the Chinese Language Press Institute held on 19 December 2025 in Penang. In his address, he called on journalists and media organisations to reaffirm the centrality of craftsmanship amid the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging digital technologies.

The conference, themed “Embracing AI: Opportunities and Responsibilities for Chinese Media”, featured five keynote addresses delivered by speakers from Malaysia (two), Taiwan (one), China (one), and Singapore (one). Assoc. Prof. Dr Chang was invited to deliver one of the keynote addresses, alongside the other Malaysian keynote speaker, Wong Chun Wai, Chairman of Bernama.

The Chinese Language Press Institute, established in 1968, is the most representative international organisation for Chinese-language newspapers. It holds an annual conference in different regions each year. Nearly a hundred publishers and editors-in-chief from Chinese language media across China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Canada attended the conference.

An Associate Professor with the Faculty of Communication and Creative Industries, Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT), Dr Chang reflected on the centuries-long development of journalism, noting that its progress has consistently been shaped by transformations in information and communication technologies (ICTs). From the advent of print to broadcast media and, more recently, the internet, technological innovation has both advanced journalism and introduced profound disruption.

He highlighted the commercialisation of the internet in the 1990s as a watershed moment that posed an existential challenge to traditional media. The rapid rise of free online news platforms, declining newspaper circulation, falling television ratings, and the migration of advertising revenue to digital and social media fundamentally altered the media landscape.

Drawing on the Malaysian experience, Dr Chang observed that traditional media initially resisted online journalism between 1998 and 2008, before being compelled in the following decade to integrate with the internet and invest heavily in digital operations.

According to Dr Chang, the convergence of journalism and internet technology is now irreversible. The critical question facing the industry is no longer whether to adopt new technologies, but how to harness them meaningfully—particularly as journalism moves towards a future in which printed newspapers may eventually disappear.

Against this backdrop, Dr Chang cautioned against technological determinism and technological fetishism, especially in relation to AI. He warned that blind faith in technology fosters the illusion that deploying the latest tools alone can safeguard journalism or recover lost audiences.

“People should control tools, not be controlled by them,” Dr Chang emphasised. He argued that journalism, as a profession centred on content creation, must never lose sight of craftsmanship, regardless of how advanced or efficient technology becomes.

Dr Chang defined craftsmanship as the commitment to diligently honing one’s knowledge and skills, striving for excellence, and pursuing continual refinement in one’s profession. He argued that this spirit of craftsmanship should be at the heart of journalism: reporters must help audiences understand not only what happened, but why; commentators must diagnose social problems with insight and clarity; and photojournalists must capture moments that convey empathy, warmth, and emotional power. Such achievements, he noted, are only possible through sustained discipline, creativity, and dedication to one’s craft.

While acknowledging the value of AI as a powerful assistive technology, Dr Chang warned that overreliance on AI risks eroding human craftsmanship and encouraging intellectual laziness, resulting in formulaic, uninspired, or error-prone content. Instead, he advocated the principle of “craftsmanship as the essence, AI as the tool”, stressing that AI should extend human capability rather than replace human judgement.

Using data journalism and AI-assisted journalism as examples, Dr Chang explained that critical decisions—such as which issues to pursue, how to frame problems, how to interpret data, and how to craft narratives with human sensitivity—ultimately depend on the journalist’s expertise and values. The quality of AI-generated output, he added, reflects the intellectual depth and rigour of the human who frames the questions.

Dr Chang also cautioned against the misconception that formal education and professional training are no longer necessary in the age of AI. Without sustained investment in learning and talent cultivation, he warned, journalism risks losing its long-standing tradition of craftsmanship altogether.

Concluding his keynote, Dr Chang pointed to Microsoft’s naming of its AI assistant, Copilot, as a timely reminder of AI’s proper role. “AI is only a co-pilot,” he said. “The true pilot—who sets direction and exercises judgement—must always be the human craftsman, guided by insight, responsibility, and wisdom.”

The 58th Annual Conference of the Chinese Language Press Institute brought together media practitioners, scholars, and industry leaders to reflect on the future of Chinese-language journalism in the AI era, with Dr Chang’s keynote underscoring that craftsmanship remains the enduring foundation of journalistic excellence.