The Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Media Forum on the theme "In Search of Truth in the Digital Age: Combating Disinformation" is being held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, Azernews reports.

Media representatives, experts, and government officials from both countries have gathered to discuss current issues in the field of information security and the impact of artificial intelligence on media activities.

In the opening ceremony, Azerbaijan was represented by Ahmad Ismayilov, the Executive Director of the Media Development Agency, and Kamran Hasanov, Head of the Mass Media Department of the Presidential Administration's Non-Governmental Organizations and Communications Division.

Ahmad Ismayilov noted that active work is being done to strengthen cooperation between the media sectors of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. He highlighted that the political will of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, Ilham Aliyev and Shavkat Mirziyoyev, plays a major role in this effort:

"Allied relations also significantly contribute to the development of mutual cooperation in the media field and the implementation of fundamental projects. The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Media Development Agency of Azerbaijan and the Agency of Information and Mass Communications of Uzbekistan during the Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan Business Forum in Tashkent on June 20, 2022, has provided a strong stimulus for our activities."

Kamran Hasanov emphasized the importance of building a more responsible and informed journalistic community in today's world, where unreliable information is abundant.

He pointed out that the number of unreliable information sources has increased tenfold in recent years, and it is no surprise that many now consider disinformation one of the main global threats:

"The number of unreliable information is increasing so rapidly that traditional verification methods can no longer keep up with this flow. The development of artificial intelligence technologies complicates the situation further. In the past, professional skills were needed to create a so-called 'newspaper rumor,' but now a simple application is enough to generate fake content. According to some predictions, in the near future, the majority of online content may be created by artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, much of this content could consist of distorted facts—in simple terms, disinformation and fake news."

According to Asadjan Khojayev, Director of the Agency of Information and Mass Communications under the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan, there has been positive momentum in the cooperation between the media structures of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan for several years now:

"Representatives of Uzbek media have participated in both Global Media Forums in Shusha. Additionally, we are actively cooperating within the media platforms of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)."

Khojayev also stressed the importance of developing principles and tools for increasing media literacy among the populations of both countries: "In the context of a crisis of trust and numerous conflicts, the development of artificial intelligence and deepfake technologies contributes to the spread of disinformation and fake news. In this regard, it is proposed to hold regular expert meetings to prepare factual information and combat disinformation. Additionally, meetings with major IT companies are important to regulate the spread of disinformation on social networks and messaging platforms."