In a rapidly evolving media landscape, news organizations across the Asia Pacific are harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to redefine how they connect with readers. At the 2025 Digital Media Asia Conference, hosted by the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) at the Pullman Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, pioneering projects were unveiled, showcasing AI’s potential to personalize content, enhance efficiency, and even provide emotional support to audiences. Among the standout innovations was The Star’s development of an AI-enhanced therapist, a tool designed to extend the legacy of its beloved advice column, Dear Thelma.
AI as a Virtual Counselor: The Star’s Bold Experiment
Malaysia’s The Star, a prominent English-language daily, is breaking new ground with its AI project. Senior news editor Razak Ahmad shared at the conference that the newspaper is training an AI model on nearly four decades of Dear Thelma columns, a weekly feature offering guidance on relationships, career challenges, and personal dilemmas since April 1986. “An AI-enhanced Thelma means we can respond to more reader submissions, potentially increasing reader engagement, especially among our younger, tech-savvy audience” Ahmad explained. 
The initiative is underpinned by a commitment to authenticity and ethics. Senior tech coordinator Kyle Kwok highlighted the need to continuously update the AI with the latest Dear Thelma content to maintain her distinctive voice and perspective. “We will have to continuously feed the most recent articles to the AI model so that it will be up to date” he noted. Meanwhile, editor Michelle Tam emphasized the importance of human oversight to preserve the newspaper’s credibility. “In addition to our wonderful human shoulder to cry on, you might even encounter a trained ‘Ther-AI-phist’ to lend you a helping hand in the future” she said, inviting readers to submit their concerns via email.
The project is not without challenges. Tam acknowledged that only time and rigorous testing will reveal whether the AI-generated advice can truly address the nuanced struggles of readers. Yet, with clear labeling of AI content and moderation by qualified staff, The Star aims to balance innovation with trust—a critical consideration in an era of growing skepticism toward automated systems.
Personalized Content and Newsroom Efficiency
Beyond emotional engagement, AI is also transforming content delivery and operational workflows in Asian newsrooms. Taiwan’s United Daily News Group, for instance, is leveraging generative AI to tailor content recommendations based on reader personas. General manager of data development Anson Mok explained that their prototype categorizes audiences into 20 distinct personas using demographics, behaviors, and preferences. “We defined 20 personas and used AI to analyze which type of content fits the personas” Mok stated. This approach not only sharpens audience segmentation but also enhances content quality and expands reach by better understanding reader needs.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Daily Inquirer is focusing on streamlining its print newsroom with a prototype dubbed “Newsroom Elves.” Sports editor Francis T.J. Ochoa described how one component, the Editor’s Desk Elf, converts press releases into polished stories complete with headlines and summaries. It also performs copy-editing tasks, checking for spelling, grammar, and clarity. “It would give the editorial team more time to focus on the narrative of news stories” Ochoa said. Such tools signal a shift toward automating routine tasks, freeing journalists to dive deeper into storytelling and analysis.
A Broader Movement: The WAN-IFRA AI Catalyst Programme
These projects are part of a larger effort facilitated by WAN-IFRA’s AI Catalyst Programme, an 18-month initiative supporting 128 newsrooms worldwide in adopting AI technologies. Session moderator Fergus Bell, a journalist and media innovator, underscored the program’s value in testing diverse applications across multilingual, multiplatform, and resource-varied environments. “These experiments reveal what works, what doesn’t, and what’s next for newsrooms serious about AI” he remarked. The showcased prototypes—from virtual therapists to content personalization—offer a glimpse into a future where technology and journalism intersect to meet evolving reader expectations.
Opportunities and Ethical Dilemmas
The integration of AI in newsrooms presents undeniable opportunities. For outlets like The Star, AI could democratize access to advice, allowing more readers to receive personalized responses at scale. Similarly, tools like Newsroom Elves could alleviate the pressures of tight deadlines, enabling journalists to prioritize investigative work or narrative depth. Personalized content recommendations, as seen with United Daily News Group, could also foster stronger reader loyalty by delivering stories that resonate on an individual level.
However, these advancements raise ethical questions. Can an AI therapist truly replicate the empathy and cultural nuance of a human columnist like Thelma? If not carefully moderated, might automated advice risk oversimplifying complex emotional issues? There are also concerns about transparency—readers must be informed when they are interacting with AI rather than a human. Additionally, the reliance on algorithms for content curation could inadvertently reinforce biases or narrow the diversity of perspectives if not designed with inclusivity in mind.
The Road Ahead for AI in Journalism
As Asian newsrooms navigate this technological frontier, the balance between innovation and integrity remains paramount. The Star’s commitment to labeling AI content and ensuring human oversight sets a promising precedent, as does the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s focus on using AI to enhance, not replace, journalistic craft. Yet, the success of these initiatives will hinge on public reception. Will readers embrace an AI therapist as a helpful tool, or will they yearn for the irreplaceable warmth of human connection? Could personalized content deepen engagement, or might it create echo chambers?
Broader implications also loom on the horizon. If AI can handle routine tasks and scale personalized interactions, news organizations might redirect resources toward in-depth reporting or underserved beats—a potential boon for journalism in resource-constrained environments. At the same time, the industry must grapple with ensuring that AI tools reflect the region’s linguistic and cultural diversity, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach that could alienate audiences.
A Transformative Era
The 2025 Digital Media Asia Conference has illuminated the transformative potential of AI in journalism, from reimagining reader engagement to optimizing newsroom workflows. Projects like The Star’s AI-enhanced Dear Thelma and the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Newsroom Elves are early steps in a journey that could reshape how stories are told and consumed. As these technologies mature, the challenge for newsrooms across the Asia Pacific will be to harness AI’s capabilities while safeguarding the trust and authenticity that define their relationship with readers.
For now, the experiments continue, each prototype a test of what’s possible in a digital age. As these tools evolve, they may not only change how news is produced but also how audiences experience it—ushering in a new era of connection, one algorithm at a time.
