Jakarta, sumbarsatu.com — From July 22–24, 2025, Jakarta became a strategic meeting point for journalists, media leaders, policymakers, academics, civil society actors, and technology practitioners from 13 countries at the CTRL+J Asia Pacific (APAC) 2025 conference. The conference served as an inclusive and critical space for collective dialogue on the future of journalism amid the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and accelerating digital disruption.
Hosted by the Indonesian Cyber Media Association (AMSI), the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), and the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM), CTRL+J APAC is part of a broader Global South dialogue following CTRL+J Latam and ahead of CTRL+J Africa. The choice of Jakarta underscores a clear position: regions most affected by technological disruption must play a leading role in shaping global responses.
Over three days, 128 participants and 39 speakers engaged in critical discussions on the structural pressures facing independent media from declining traffic driven by zero-click search and AI scraping, to deep power asymmetries with dominant digital platforms. Beyond diagnosing challenges, the forum focused on forward-looking strategies, including the Business-to-AI-to-Consumer (B2A2C) model, strengthening data and technological sovereignty, and advancing regulatory frameworks that ensure fair and transparent compensation for journalistic work.
Wahyu Dhyatmika, Chairperson of AMSI, emphasized that CTRL+J APAC 2025 demonstrated the Global South’s capacity to lead with both moral clarity and strategic foresight. “Journalism is a public good. In the age of AI, moving forward together across sectors and borders is essential to keep our information ecosystems independent, sustainable, and firmly grounded in human rights,” he said.
The key insights, lessons, and proposed actions from the conference are compiled in the CTRL+J APAC 2025 Conference Report. More than a record of discussions, the report serves as a shared roadmap for media practitioners, policymakers, and the public to ensure that journalism continues to serve the public interest in the AI era.ssc/rel
