Jakarta, INTI - Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria stated that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not a threat because it replaces journalists.
According to him, the main threat today is the practice of extracting journalistic value without fair compensation.
Media content is absorbed by platforms and AI engines, then repurposed into summaries.
As a result, media outlets lose traffic, revenue, and their strategic position as public references.
“The greatest threat to journalism today is not journalists being replaced by artificial intelligence, but journalistic value being extracted without fair returns to the media,” he said during the Talk Show of the 2026 National Mass Media Convention on National Press Day: “Press, AI, and Digital Transformation: Building an Information Ecosystem for Public Interest” in Serang, Banten, Sunday, February 8, 2026.
Instant AI Summaries Erode Journalistic Quality
Deputy Minister Nezar Patria explained that AI disruption affects the entire media ecosystem.
Its impact is not only on newsrooms but also on the quality of information received by the public.
“Journalistic processes based on verification and fieldwork are eroded by the consumption of instant summaries,” he said.
He emphasized that machine-generated summaries are not equivalent to journalistic work. Journalism provides context, verification discipline, and the human face behind events.
“What the public ultimately reads is not journalistic work, but machine summaries. There, many nuances and human aspects are lost,” he added.
Protecting Journalism in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
According to Deputy Minister Nezar, the future of media depends on journalism that machines cannot replicate.
Field reporting, investigations, and community stories become distinguishing factors amid the flood of synthetic content.
“If media rely solely on platforms without uniqueness, we will be standardized by artificial intelligence,” he said.
Therefore, the government emphasized its role in safeguarding the public information ecosystem.
Publisher rights policies, transparency in AI content usage, and fair compensation principles for the media industry are part of the national digital policy direction.
“This step aims to maintain the sustainability of quality journalism and protect the public’s right to complete and trustworthy information,” affirmed Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria.
Conclusion
The rise of Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the media landscape, but the true threat to journalism lies not in automation, but in the unchecked extraction of journalistic value. As instant AI summaries replace in-depth reporting, media outlets risk losing both economic sustainability and their role as trusted sources of public information. Through stronger regulations on content usage, fair compensation, and a renewed focus on irreplaceable human-driven journalism, the government aims to ensure that quality reporting continues to thrive in the digital era.
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