Chula Hosts N3Con 2026 on the Future of Journalism, AI, and Media Innovation in Asia and Beyond
The Faculty of Communication Arts at Chulalongkorn University co-hosted the 16th New.Now.Next Media Conference 2026 (N3Con 2026), bringing together journalists, editors, media executives, technologists, academics, and students from across Asia and around the world from May 21–23, 2026. The conference was organized by the Asian American Journalists Association Asia chapter (AAJA Asia) in celebration of the organization’s 30th anniversary. This marked the second time that the international New.Now.Next Media Conference was held at Chulalongkorn University.
Participants exchanged perspectives on major transformations in the media industry, particularly the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is reshaping news production processes, audience engagement, media business models, and the landscape of contemporary journalism.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Preeda Akarachankanchote, Dean of the Faculty of Communication Arts at Chulalongkorn University, stated that the conference reflected the faculty’s commitment to advancing education in journalism, communication arts, and media innovation in order to prepare Thailand’s and the region’s media industries to address the challenges of the AI era ethically and responsibly.
“Although technology is evolving rapidly, the core mission of journalism remains rooted in truth, accountability, and creating a public sphere for society. Today’s challenge is not simply whether we should use AI, but how we can use AI ethically and responsibly while remaining aware of its broader societal impacts,” the Dean said.
The conference featured keynote speakers and international experts from leading global media organizations, including Anjali Kapoor, Director of AI, Innovation, and Growth at the BBC; Jodie Ginsberg, Chief Executive Officer of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ); and Eric Wishart, Standards and Ethics Editor at Agence France-Presse (AFP), along with journalists, media executives, and technology experts from various countries.
The conference covered key topics such as AI ethics in newsrooms, governance of media technologies, the future of media in the creator economy era, environmental journalism, journalist safety, international communication, and the application of data journalism and interactive storytelling in contemporary news work.
In addition, the event featured practical workshops on AI for journalism, investigative reporting, and newsroom innovation, highlighting N3Con’s role as a platform for knowledge exchange between academia and the international media industry.
Hosting N3Con 2026 also reinforced Bangkok’s position as a regional hub for communication, media innovation, and journalism collaboration in Asia.
More information is available on the official N3Con 2026 website: https://www.n3con.com/2026/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
