At the Panoramai AI Summit, Mounir Krichane, Director of EPFL Media Center, addressed the complex integration of AI in journalism and media production. Drawing on his engineering background in communication systems and years of experience in digital transformation at RTS, he provided practical insights into maintaining editorial integrity while leveraging AI capabilities.

Trust as the Foundation

Krichane emphasized that media credibility remains paramount in the AI era: « In the media, it's about trust, trust with the public. In journalism, there's obviously a charter behind it, there's a journalistic integrity ». This principle guides how media organizations approach AI integration, ensuring that technological efficiency never compromises editorial standards.

Human-in-the-Loop Implementation

He detailed current AI adoption practices across media organizations: « For example, the transcription of an interview can be automated. The output may not be perfect. The journalist has the duty to reread, to guarantee the quality of the interview ». Krichane stressed that « there is always a human in the loop » in quality media operations, positioning AI as an augmentation tool rather than a replacement.

Technical Solutions for Content Provenance

Addressing synthetic media challenges, Krichane outlined emerging standards like C2PA and JPEG Trust for content authentication. He explained how Sony cameras now integrate metadata tracking, allowing complete traceability: « A photographer on the field who works for Keystone, ATS, with his Sony camera, he takes a photo. We know that this photo was taken in Ukraine, on the field. We will be able to follow its transformation ».

Governance Over Technology

Krichane advocated for ethical frameworks preceding technological implementation: « Before technology, I want to do that, but there is also a duty of ethical governance, of human judgment, even before technology. I think it's almost more important, even if technology can then help the process ». He noted how RTS evolved its AI charter from 2023 to 2025, adapting guidelines as capabilities expanded.

The European Media Future

Looking ahead, Krichane expressed optimism about human-centered journalism: « Despite all the technological progress, this human side will persist and will be reinforced in some way. The fact by humans will also stand out in some way ». However, he warned against repeating past dependencies: « For 15 years, there has been a dependence on big tech... I hope that in five years time, technology will advance. There will always be media. There will be an ethical team, but not this dependence ».

Key Achievement: Mounir demonstrated how media organizations can maintain editorial integrity while leveraging AI capabilities, providing a roadmap for ethical AI integration that preserves journalistic standards while enhancing operational efficiency and content authentication capabilities.