A regulator, a technologist and a politician walking into a conference room - the beginning of a very geeky joke - or more accurately, the start of the second Thomson Talks with Madhav Chinnappa, focused on the specific subject of AI/News & Regulation.
Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana, CEO of IMPRESS, offered perspectives on media regulation, the complexity in identifying harm, regulatory methodologies such as state versus self-regulation, and keeping in mind who would be the beneficiaries of any regulation.
Jennifer Beroshi, Head of Policy at Google DeepMind, discussed the challenges of regulating AI, particularly in distinguishing between application of AI and models underpinning them, and the need for forward-thinking governance and posited while this is a broad, controversial and complex area at a high level, that there must be specific smaller issues where we can agree quickly and build from there.
Lord (Chris) Holmes of Richmond MBE advocated for agile and transparent regulation, emphasising the importance of public engagement and ethical considerations in AI governance.
The discussion that followed was filled with much divergence of opinion on many issues, including the foundational one of whether there should be regulation or not. The answers varied from Yes, No, to It-Is-Already-Here.
Regulation: Yes v No The Yes to Regulation camp talked about how the harms are real and exist today and therefore action is needed. On a more practical level, there are areas of less controversy that we should be working on now. This requires collaboration due to the urgency that exists. Election integrity was raised and given the timings in the UK, the need for an immediate voluntary code of conduct between the major political parties, tech companies and publishers was outlined.
The No (or perhaps Maybe/Be Careful ) camp raised the lack of understanding among regulators, how it can stifle research and innovation as well as the potential unintended consequences of hasty regulation. A point was made that GDPR has hindered identifying bad actors in disinformation troll networks. Additionally, there are existing laws around copyright and data privacy that remain relevant to the AI debate.
Globalisation: There were a number of concerns about how the global nature of AI impacts regulation on both a practical level as well as an equity level. For example, given the EU AI Act and the US's AI Bill of Rights, how can the UK act in concert with those initiatives versus being sidelined. Additionally, so much of the thinking is from a Global North perspective where the harms might be even more damaging for the Global South, especially if mishandled. How do we address this imbalance?
Democracy: The impact on democracy overall was discussed and posited that that is what we should be trying to protect, rather than journalism or incumbent players in the information ecosystem. What is the public good and how can we protect that?
Agentic: Regulation could be even more difficult in an agentic world where AI acts without humans in the loop and therefore there are no true good' or bad' actors as in the future of the AI itself is its own agent.
Process: While perspectives varied on the necessity and efficacy of regulation, there was some agreement that a collaborative, dialogue-based approach was needed to achieve the balance between innovation and safeguarding against harm. An interesting point was made by a regulator that one of the most effective techniques they have is human-to-human dialogue to create change in companies without the need for regulatory interventions. A further point was made that involving the public is critical and the process used around IVF could be a model as it was a groundbreaking technology with many ethical issues that required bringing the public on board during the development of regulation.
The second Thomson Talks held on 24th February 2024 at Thomsons London headquarters provided valuable insights into the multifaceted issues surrounding AI regulation in the news industry, highlighting the importance of informed and collaborative approaches with the emergent regulatory landscape to ensure the development of good regulation versus just fast - and potentially damaging - regulation.
The third Thomson Talks will be held in Germany in June 2024.
-- Play
-- --
AI & Disinformation courses
Rethinking disinformation: psychology, prebunking and other tactics to halt the spread.
AI in the newsroom: the ethical approach
Journalism Now
Thomsons e-learning platform
Madhav Chinnappa Thomson Talks
Madhav Chinnappa, the former Director of News Ecosystem Development at Google and veteran news executive, leads our Thought Leadership events Thomson Talks.
Explore our projects across the globe
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
14/05/2026
Back From The Brink airs Sunday 17 May and Sunday 24 May at 6.30pm on RT One an...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Customer demand for data continues to grow in the first quarter of 2026 at Magya...
12/05/2026
The latest drama underscores Sky's continued investment in regional production and Welsh creative talent.Tuesday 12 May 2026
Wales takes the spotlight in S...
11/05/2026
As Eurovision fans gear up to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic song ...
11/05/2026
Pela primeira vez na hist ria, o Brasil figura entre os oito maiores mercados de...
11/05/2026
New desktop instrument focused on tactile performance
Bastl Instruments have announced the Kalimba, a new desktop instrument that combines physical modellin...
11/05/2026
Compact sampling workstation gains new features
1010music have announced the blackbox 2, a new version of their compact standalone sampler designed for DAWl...
11/05/2026
Performance-focused sequencer with microtonal control
Berlin-based KOMA Elektronik have announced Monoplex, a new 42HP Eurorack sequencer designed for hands...
11/05/2026
Boasts wireless control from mobile devices
The latest iteration of IK Multimedia's compact amp and effects modelling pedal expands on the capabilities ...
11/05/2026
Spans traditional orchestral and experimental sounds
Sonora Cinematic have recently released the third instalment in their Transfigured Orchestra series, de...
11/05/2026
Our exhibition coverage
Watch all our SUPERBOOTH 2026 video coverage in one place. Check back to this page regularly as we will be updating with more video ...
11/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, is participating in the Equity Forum Ge...
11/05/2026
Bounteous Acquires Cartesian to Accelerate Enterprise AI
May 11, 2026
Business Assurance
News
Acquisition enhances deep data and analytics capabil...
11/05/2026
11 May 2026
VEON Shareholders Re-elect Board and Chairman, Reaffirming Confiden...
11/05/2026
Fox Corporation Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results NEW YORK, NY, May 11, 2026 - Fox Corporation (Nasdaq: FOXA, FOX; FOX or the Company ) t...
11/05/2026
Arvato Systems Becomes a Member of InsurLab Germany
Collaboration in the insurance industrys leading innovation network
G tersloh - Arvato Systems has joine...
11/05/2026
Pirate Predator uncovers new information from victims and survivors of abuse on ...
10/05/2026
RT ALL-IRELAND DRAMA FESTIVAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED DURING GALA AWARDS STREAMED LIVE ON RTE.IE/CULTURE
Kilmeen Drama Group hailing from Rossmore, Co. Cork Scoops ...
09/05/2026
New desktop instrument focused on tactile performance
Bastl Instruments have announced Kalimba, a new desktop instrument that combines physical modelling, F...
09/05/2026
Compact sampling workstation gains new features
1010music have announced blackbox 2, a new version of their compact standalone sampler designed for DAWless ...
08/05/2026
One-button synth generates random four-track ideas
Cyma Forma and French artist Bambounou have announced RND synth, a compact hardware synthesizer built aro...
08/05/2026
Portable four-layer granular and sampling instrument
Tasty Chips have announced the GR-2, a new granular synthesizer and sampling instrument that combines e...
08/05/2026
Video Show Report
Video of SUPERBOOTH 26: Polyend Drums
Polyends big announcement for Superbooth 2026 is the Drums, a new drum machine that features both ...
08/05/2026
Deal agreed as NI enters new chapter
Native Instruments CEO Nick Williams has announced that a definitive agreement has been signed for the company to be ac...
08/05/2026
Video Show Report
Video of SUPERBOOTH 26: Erica Bullfrog Drums
The Bullfrog Drums is the latest collaboration between Erica Synths and Richie Hawtin, and ...
08/05/2026
In our latest blog, Tim Pearson reflects on the recent launch of Play Snooker, the new digital home of snooker by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker A...
08/05/2026
Pete reunites with Dogs Trust for a fourth series and a two-part overseas special
London, Friday 8th May 2026: The award winning factual entertainment series P...
08/05/2026
Wuppertal May 8, 2026
Riedel to Support Glasgow 2026 as Official Connectivity Integration Provider Riedel Communications today announced its return as a spons...
08/05/2026
ICG is excited to share news of our official launch in Northern Ireland, marking a significant milestone in the agency's growth.
Led by Digital Marketing M...
08/05/2026
Over the past ten years, Thames Water, in partnership with Arqiva, has installed more than 1.2 million smart meters, creating one of the most extensive advanced...
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
A regulator, a technologist and a politician walking into a conference room - the beginning of a very geeky joke - or more accurately, the start of the second Thomson Talks with Madhav Chinnappa, focused on the specific subject of AI/News & Regulation.
