I Am an Overseas Correspondent Training: Hu Wan-Ling Says AI Cannot Replace On-Site Reporting
At the 9th 'I Am an Overseas Correspondent' training camp, Central News Agency President Hu Wan-Ling emphasized that while AI can optimize news, on-site reporting and ethical judgment require human journalists. The program focuses on AI sustainability, international literacy, and news capabilities to enhance youth's global competitiveness.
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- 📰 Published: May 9, 2026 at 12:51
- 🔍 Collected: May 9, 2026 at 13:01 (10 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 10, 2026 at 01:12 (12h 11m after Collected)
Central News Agency (Taichung, May 9th) – The 9th 'I Am an Overseas Correspondent' training camp for the Central News Agency kicked off today in the central region. Central News Agency President Hu Wan-Ling shared how to adapt to news work in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), stating that AI can optimize news, but front-line reporting must be conducted by real people on-site.
The two-day event is being held at Chunghwa Telecom Academy's Taichung Liming Hall. The first day's session began with Hu Wan-Ling's keynote speech, 'All-round Newsperson in the AI Era.' Hu Wan-Ling said that in the digital age, various media outlets are becoming homogenized online, with print media also producing video news. This has led to new types of news workers, the emergence of new media, and different interactions between traditional media and digital-era media with audiences.
Hu Wan-Ling also shared her rich experience in overseas reporting, including interviews with Nobel Peace Prize laureate the Dalai Lama and stateless Thai-Burmese veterans, as well as reporting on Taiwanese heads of state visiting under diplomatic constraints and advancing to cover 'North Korea,' all requiring overcoming time and transportation limitations.
Regarding whether AI can replace news work, Hu Wan-Ling stated that AI can write articles, create headlines, debug, and produce charts, but there are things it 'can do and cannot do.' Humans possess professional literacy to judge news value, produce news while considering news ethics and morality, and are responsible for information dissemination. The distinction between right and wrong cannot be left to robots to decide.
Hu Wan-Ling said, 'AI can optimize news, but front-line news must always be covered by real, professional individuals on-site.'
Furthermore, as a benchmark media in Taiwan, Central News Agency has internally established professional ethical guidelines for news, editorial guidelines, and writing standards. In response to the rise of generative AI tools, it has also formulated the 'Central News Agency Generative AI Application Guidelines,' emphasizing that generative AI can improve work efficiency and generate new creativity. However, the content source of AI learning and the usage of generated products may violate laws and regulations or infringe upon others' rights, so generative AI must be used correctly.
Hu Wan-Ling stated that 'overseas correspondents' must possess foreign language skills, be somewhat brave, calm, and analytical, thoroughly prepare local information, care about the world from a Taiwanese perspective, and for overseas reporting, it must always be 'people on-site reporting, presenting the truth of facts,' writing about issues of concern to Taiwanese, and comparing Taiwan with relevant international people and events.
Participating student Yang Ji-Xin told a Central News Agency reporter that human on-site reporting, through person-to-person contact, allows interviewees to express their true feelings, which AI cannot replace. Student Lin Xiao-Jun said that the course content mentioned Taiwan's connection to the international community and the qualities media should possess are all important issues to explore.
The 'I Am an Overseas Correspondent' activity responds to the pulse of the times, incorporating AI sustainability, international literacy, and news power as new main axes. It aims to combine AI sustainability (digital literacy) and international literacy (cross-cultural understanding) with news power, media literacy, and international media resources to help young people build more comprehensive international competitiveness in an environment where technology and globalization intersect.
The northern training camp was successfully completed on April 25th and 26th in Taipei City. The southern training camp will take place on May 23rd and 24th at Grand Hi-Lai Hotel in Kaohsiung City. Through the training, students also undergo preliminary selection for internship qualifications, with the opportunity to intern at Central News Agency. Selected young correspondents can intern abroad for one month.
A total of 1,390 students participated in the first eight training camps, with cumulative participation reaching 21,464. Thirty-five young correspondents were selected, traveling to 8 countries and 11 cities, including Germany, the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and India.
The 'I Am an Overseas Correspondent' series of activities is guided by the Ministry of Culture and sponsored by Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd., CTBC Bank Co., Ltd., First Commercial Bank, Ever Rich Duty Free Shop, Mega Bank, and Mega Bank Cultural and Educational Foundation. (Editor: Li Ming-Chung) 1150509
The two-day event is being held at Chunghwa Telecom Academy's Taichung Liming Hall. The first day's session began with Hu Wan-Ling's keynote speech, 'All-round Newsperson in the AI Era.' Hu Wan-Ling said that in the digital age, various media outlets are becoming homogenized online, with print media also producing video news. This has led to new types of news workers, the emergence of new media, and different interactions between traditional media and digital-era media with audiences.
Hu Wan-Ling also shared her rich experience in overseas reporting, including interviews with Nobel Peace Prize laureate the Dalai Lama and stateless Thai-Burmese veterans, as well as reporting on Taiwanese heads of state visiting under diplomatic constraints and advancing to cover 'North Korea,' all requiring overcoming time and transportation limitations.
Regarding whether AI can replace news work, Hu Wan-Ling stated that AI can write articles, create headlines, debug, and produce charts, but there are things it 'can do and cannot do.' Humans possess professional literacy to judge news value, produce news while considering news ethics and morality, and are responsible for information dissemination. The distinction between right and wrong cannot be left to robots to decide.
Hu Wan-Ling said, 'AI can optimize news, but front-line news must always be covered by real, professional individuals on-site.'
Furthermore, as a benchmark media in Taiwan, Central News Agency has internally established professional ethical guidelines for news, editorial guidelines, and writing standards. In response to the rise of generative AI tools, it has also formulated the 'Central News Agency Generative AI Application Guidelines,' emphasizing that generative AI can improve work efficiency and generate new creativity. However, the content source of AI learning and the usage of generated products may violate laws and regulations or infringe upon others' rights, so generative AI must be used correctly.
Hu Wan-Ling stated that 'overseas correspondents' must possess foreign language skills, be somewhat brave, calm, and analytical, thoroughly prepare local information, care about the world from a Taiwanese perspective, and for overseas reporting, it must always be 'people on-site reporting, presenting the truth of facts,' writing about issues of concern to Taiwanese, and comparing Taiwan with relevant international people and events.
Participating student Yang Ji-Xin told a Central News Agency reporter that human on-site reporting, through person-to-person contact, allows interviewees to express their true feelings, which AI cannot replace. Student Lin Xiao-Jun said that the course content mentioned Taiwan's connection to the international community and the qualities media should possess are all important issues to explore.
The 'I Am an Overseas Correspondent' activity responds to the pulse of the times, incorporating AI sustainability, international literacy, and news power as new main axes. It aims to combine AI sustainability (digital literacy) and international literacy (cross-cultural understanding) with news power, media literacy, and international media resources to help young people build more comprehensive international competitiveness in an environment where technology and globalization intersect.
The northern training camp was successfully completed on April 25th and 26th in Taipei City. The southern training camp will take place on May 23rd and 24th at Grand Hi-Lai Hotel in Kaohsiung City. Through the training, students also undergo preliminary selection for internship qualifications, with the opportunity to intern at Central News Agency. Selected young correspondents can intern abroad for one month.
A total of 1,390 students participated in the first eight training camps, with cumulative participation reaching 21,464. Thirty-five young correspondents were selected, traveling to 8 countries and 11 cities, including Germany, the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and India.
The 'I Am an Overseas Correspondent' series of activities is guided by the Ministry of Culture and sponsored by Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd., CTBC Bank Co., Ltd., First Commercial Bank, Ever Rich Duty Free Shop, Mega Bank, and Mega Bank Cultural and Educational Foundation. (Editor: Li Ming-Chung) 1150509