The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) kicked off the AIME Academy to boost AI skills for media folks across India . Chanchal Kumar, Secretary at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, launched the academy on May 30 at IIMC's campus in New Delhi. This initiative looks to bridge a training gap for journalists and media educators in a world where AI is taking over.
IIMC runs six regional campuses in New Delhi, Dhenkanal,Jammu, Aizawl,Amravati, and Kottayam, reaching media professionals nationwide. The AIME Academy will zero in on five key areas: capacity building, research,innovation and incubation,responsible AI policy development,and strategic collaboration. These efforts will shape training modules tailored to the Indian media scene and push for responsible AI use in newsrooms .
One aim is to tear down language barriers in media education. AI training will be available in various Indian languages,making advanced media skills easier to grasp for journalists and students who find English tough.
Before official launch, IIMC ran a 10-week hybrid training program that drew over 110 participants from 23 cities. These attendees came from more than 100 newsrooms,media colleges, and public communication institutions . program highlighted Google's Generative AI and large language model tools, including Gemini,NotebookLM,AI Studio,and Pinpoint. Each participant logged 40 hours of instruction and mentoring,leading to 170 AI-powered projects and over 50 digital applications. Some even published their work using the skills they picked up during training .
Officials stress that while AI can speed up content creation, it shouldn't take place of human judgment in journalism. Kumar noted that roles of journalists,editors, and media educators will only grow more crucial as AI technologies advance . He said,"The role of journalists, editors and media educators will become even more important in the AI era." Accountability and decision-making must stay with human professionals.
The AIME Academy aims to attract a broad audience, including students,journalists, media educators,and communication pros. Participants from organizations like Doordarshan,All India Radio,and the Press Information Bureau took part in the pilot program. For educators,this initiative offers way to weave AI into existing curricula while keeping core journalism principles intact.
IIMC's approach tackles a pressing issue for media schools: teaching tools already in play without sacrificing editorial integrity . As the media landscape shifts,the academy looks to equip the next generation of journalists for AI-driven future.
