At the 2023 Fall Press Conference held at VNA on August 29, 2023, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung shared with leaders of press agencies about the two core strengths of journalism - especially the power of the phrase "I don't know". VietNamNet respectfully introduces the speech of Minister Nguyen Manh Hung.
According to Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung, journalism inherently has the power of the ignorant and the power of questions. Photo: Le Anh Dung

Autumn is a special season because it is associated with many major events of the country. On the occasion of the Fall 2023 press conference, I would like to share a few ideas.

Firstly, August 28 is the traditional day of the Information and Communications sector, the traditional day when digital technology and communications are under the same roof, under the same state management ministry. It has been under the same roof for 16 years, since 2007. Since last year, in 2022, the Ministry of Information and Communications has organized a joint meeting for the entire postal and telecommunications sector, information technology, digital technology, press, publishing, media, and grassroots information. Combining state management of digital technology and communications because communications are now basically digital communications. Congratulations to everyone in the common home of Information and Communications.

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung talks with retired officials in the information and communications sector at the event organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications to honor retired officials on the traditional day of the sector. Photo: Le Anh Dung

Second, National Day September 2, the birth day of the new Vietnam, reminds us of our ancestors' aspiration for a Vietnam that stands shoulder to shoulder with the world's powers. Our generation must inherit the past and open up the future. Inheriting the past means inheriting the Dai Viet spirit, inheriting the will for independence, the aspiration for a great power of our ancestors. But we must also tell the story of our generation, write the history of our generation, and do our part so that Vietnam becomes a developed country with high income by 2045, which is only more than 20 years away. I wish our press to fan the aspiration for a strong and prosperous Vietnam, thereby creating the spiritual strength to build a prosperous and happy Vietnam. I wish each of us to do our part well.

Third is the application of artificial intelligence (AI). AI, especially deep learning, has passed the discovery and research phase and has entered the application phase. Research and discovery require elites and decades of effort to achieve a breakthrough. The US and some developed countries still play the leading role in the research and discovery phase of new technology.

"AI is to empower people, it is a tool for each person to do their job better, like having an assistant to help. Quickly popularize the AI ​​applications that we develop and "cultivate"." Minister Nguyen Manh Hung

Vietnam has not participated much in this stage. But in the application stage, we only need engineers, we need many application level engineers, whoever is quick to apply will benefit the most. AI has become like electricity of the second industrial revolution, like the steam engine of the first industrial revolution, it needs to be popularized, penetrated into all fields, everywhere, every place, every daily work, of everyone, every business, every organization. The way to popularize AI is to turn AI technology into a cheap service, as popular as telephone service. The Ministry of Information and Communications is proposing that the Government issue a national action program to accelerate the application of AI in digital transformation (DTS), in digital government, digital economy and digital society. AI will help increase labor productivity, reduce product costs, and create new values. Our press has a National Strategy on Press DTS.

The Ministry of Information and Communications is developing an AI platform to help press agencies. AI is to empower people instead of replacing them, it is a tool for each person to still do their job but do it better, it is a bit like each of us has an assistant to help. Quickly popularize AI applications, but it must be AI developed by us, "raised" by us (data, goals, algorithm selection, training are ours).

"Instead of proudly saying "I know", let's see the beauty, the effectiveness, the value of saying "I don't know". This power will also increase many times if we have the right questions, good questions." - Minister Nguyen Manh Hung

Fourth, I would like to share with everyone the power of saying “I don’t know”. Saying “I don’t know” opens our brain, saying “I know” closes it. Saying “I know” makes the other person stop talking. Saying “I don’t know” makes them willing to share, and we will have access to millions of knowledge stores.

Therefore, instead of proudly saying “I know”, let’s see the beauty, the effectiveness, the value of saying “I don’t know”. This power will also increase many times if we have the right questions, good questions.

Journalists interview National Assembly deputies during a break. Photo: Pham Hai

Our journalism is a profession of inquiry, a profession of questioning. We already have the power of the unknown, and the power of questions. In this era of change, of digital transformation, no one knows everything, so both of these powers are greater than ever. So let's take advantage of these two core strengths of journalism.

Vietnamnet.vn