'Information Credibility and AI Literacy' training to begin at DIU on Thursday

A training programme titled "Information Credibility and AI Literacy", initiated by Google and organised by Prothom Alo, will start at Daffodil International University (DIU) on Thursday (September 18).

Eighty students from Daffodil International University will attend the training in person. The programme carries no course fee, and successful participants will receive certificates following evaluation.

Training will be conducted from 9am to 4:30pm by Dr Saiful Alam Chowdhury, associate professor at the University of Dhaka; Maliha Tabassum, assistant professor at Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP); and A F M Khairul Bashar, senior manager at Prothom Alo's Digital Business department.

The 10-hour course, structured into five modules, will provide practical instruction on news-gathering, verification, analysis and reporting. It will also cover the application of artificial intelligence tools, including Notebook LM, Gemini, Pinpoint, and Google Trends. Organisers expect the training to enhance participants' ability to counter misinformation and disinformation - key challenges in contemporary journalism.

Registration for the programme was open from August 14 to 30, drawing nearly 5,000 applications nationwide. Initially designed for 1,000 participants, the number was expanded to 2,000 in response to high demand. Among them, 1,070 journalists and media professionals, alongside 930 students, will take part in online and offline sessions.

Students from six universities - including Bangladesh University of Professionals, North South University, University of Chittagong, University of Barishal, and University of Khulna - will join classroom sessions, in addition to those at Daffodil International University.

Organisers and participants alike regard the initiative as a significant step toward raising the standards of journalism and preparing a new generation of media professionals equipped with digital and AI-driven tools. With AI set to play an increasingly vital role in the newsroom, they believe the training will be both timely and impactful, opening new horizons for journalism and media education in Bangladesh.