Pakistan's AI News Platform Founder: Journalism Needs Human-AI Partnership, Not Replacement
Amar Guriro, founder of Pakistan's first AI-powered news platform, says artificial intelligence should strengthen journalism rather than replace it. The veteran journalist, with 25 years in the profession, told SBS Urdu that the industry's future depends on collaboration between humans and machines while preserving core editorial standards.
Human oversight remains central
Guriro launched Saga Digital AI from a conviction that journalists must adapt to new technologies without abandoning professional standards. He views AI as another medium and tool-comparable to the shift from print to radio to television-not as a replacement for journalism itself.
He rejected concerns that AI inherently produces misinformation or low-quality content. AI can make complex subjects more accessible, he said, provided journalists continue to apply established verification and editorial principles.
The core functions of journalism-gathering facts, verifying information, and serving the public interest-will remain human responsibilities even as AI tools advance.
AI does nothing without human direction
Guriro emphasized that prompt engineering and editorial control remain human work. Journalists write scripts, provide instructions, establish guidelines, and make ethical decisions that determine how AI-generated material is produced and presented.
"AI does nothing on its own," he said. Editorial control stays with human operators who bear responsibility for compliance with journalistic standards.
He compared AI's emergence to previous technological shifts that reshaped newsroom roles-from photography to multimedia journalism-without eliminating the profession. New skills emerged. The work changed. Journalism persisted.
Fully autonomous newsrooms unlikely
Guriro predicted that human expertise will remain necessary in newsrooms. Editors, scriptwriters, prompt engineers, and other specialists will continue guiding and supervising AI systems.
The debate over AI in newsrooms reflects a broader industry consensus: verification, editorial judgment, and ethical decision-making remain central to credible journalism, regardless of technological advances. As Pakistani media organizations explore AI tools, that principle shows no signs of changing.
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