Haarlem Declaration’s blossoming commitment to ethical AI

This Declaration comes at a pivotal moment, as AI-powered tools – particularly China’s new generative AI model DeepSeek – gain global traction. The rapid rise of generated AI models and autonomous AI agents is reshaping how digital information is created, curated, moderated and distributed.

Recent research by RNW Media conducted with its global community, ‘The Vine’, found that 84% of independent and public interest media already use AI in their work, ranging from occasional use for specific tasks to frequent or constant application.

While AI presents new opportunities, its unchecked power also raises urgent concerns – especially for independent and public-interest media in the Global South. AI-generated misinformation, including cheap fakes and deepfakes, erodes trust in digital content.

Unregulated data scraping is undermining copyrights and the sustainability of media organisations. Algorithmic biases disproportionately impact marginalised communities, with the concentration of AI power in the hands of a few, limiting diverse and independent media voices.

In response, the Haarlem Declaration, initiated by RNW Media, seeks to address these issues head-on. Named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands – known for its digital innovation and home to RNW Media – the Declaration is a direct outcome of the Digital Media Impact Summit 2024.

Co-created through consultations with 88 public interest media, civil society groups, and media experts from 34 countries, it outlines a collective commitment to ethical AI in digital media.

The signatories of the Haarlem Declaration pledge to deploy and utilise AI responsibly in digital media in accordance with the following six ethical values and principles:

• Ensuring transparency and explainability
• Promoting ethical data practices
• Safeguarding information integrity and content authenticity
• Minimising bias, harm and discrimination in AI use
• Centering people over technology
• Balancing the environmental impact of AI

The Declaration goes beyond theoretical commitments – it sets out six tangible actions for signatories to implement:

• Co-create and implement an Ethical AI Checklist integrated into editorial operations
• Facilitate open and accessible dialogues, learning circles and experience-sharing platforms
• Co-document AI user experiences and foster collective reflection on different implementation paths
• Leverage digital media to amplify diverse, marginalised and counter-narratives about AI
• Produce evidence-based research on both the benefits and risks of AI in media
• Advocate collectively for minimising harm and promoting ethical AI use in the sector

‘The Haarlem Declaration provides a clear blueprint – not only for how AI should be applied ethically, but also for why it matters,’ said Surabhi Srivastava, Media Innovation Lead at RNW Media. ‘With AI technology evolving at an unprecedented pace, and public trust in media and democratic institutions rapidly declining, media makers must lead by example.

‘This Declaration is not just a self-regulatory framework for media – it is a critical step towards restoring public trust in journalism and media in the AI era’

Fer Gonzalez Morales, Learning Design Lead at RNW Media and the Declaration’s lead author, emphasised the responsibility that comes with AI ethics: ‘[It’s] about taking a stand and being accountable.’

‘Co-developing this Declaration was a challenging but necessary process – filled with difficult conversations, disagreements and moments of reflection. Learning is daunting, but it is also an act of presence – of embodying our values in the here and now.

‘We are proud that a significant number of signatories represent Global South organisations – because their voices must not be overlooked.’

RNW Media is an international media development organization based in the Netherlands, operating in 40+ countries with a 75+ year legacy in advancing media viability and information integrity.

As a member of the Inclusive AI Lab (founded by Utrecht University and Adobe), RNW Media has adopted an ‘AI-supported strategy’ since 2024, aimed at helping global and local independent media to build AI awareness and literacy, utilise AI ethically in content creation, curation, recommendation, moderation, distribution and audience analytics, ensuring that AI serves human-centred goals.

To this end, RNW Media has developed a series of AI training and masterclasses, including AI 101, Effective Prompting, Ethical AI Journalism, AI for Investigative Journalism, and AI for NGO Communications. These trainings equip organisations and media professionals with the knowledge and tools they need to amplify their impact responsibly in the AI era.

• Download the full Declaration here
• Access the summary report of the Digital Media Impact Summit here

Signatories of the Haarlem Declaration

• Habari RDC (Congo)

• Benbere (Mali)

• Manasati30 (Yemen)

• The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC, Canada and the UK)

• Hikaya Center for Civil Society Development (Jordan)

• NairoBits Trust (Kenya)

• Radio Ergo (Kenya)

• Talk Africa (Kenya)

• AkhbarMeter Media Observatory (Egypt and Germany)

• Write to Left Media BV (Netherlands)

• University of Utrecht, Inclusive AI Lab (Netherlands)

• University of Lagos Unilag Radio (Nigeria)

• Yayasan Mata Pelajar (Indonesia)

• Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (Bangladesh)

• Biozid Climate Institute (Bangladesh)