Driving Credibility and Innovation in Journalism: Sunway College Partners for AI-Enabled Fact-Checking System
In an era where digital information spreads rapidly, ensuring the authenticity of news and public content is increasingly important. Sunway College Kathmandu has entered into a tripartite agreement with the Tech Journos Forum (TJF) and the Center for Artificial Intelligence Research Nepal (CAIR Nepal) to develop an AI-enabled fact-checking system.
The agreement was signed by Mr. Tek Raj Chhetri, Founding Director of CAIR Nepal; Mr. Khushal Regmi, Director of Sunway College Kathmandu; and Mr. Purna Bhakta Duwal, President of TJF. The initiative aims to help identify, evaluate and verify false, misleading, manipulated and AI-generated or modified content in Nepal.
About the Project
The proposed system will initially support Nepali and English and will be designed to analyze text, images and audio-visual content.
Key functionalities will include:
- Claim Detection: Identifying factual claims within news and public content.
- Source and Evidence Gathering: Finding related claims, sources and supporting evidence.
- Evaluation and Transparency: Recording sources, evidence, content origins and the basis for evaluation.
Importantly, the system will not make final determinations of truth or falsehood. Its results will require review by qualified editors before content is published or broadcast.
Roles in the Collaboration
CAIR Nepal: Will lead research and technology development, including the system’s technical architecture, AI, machine learning, language-processing and knowledge-sharing technologies, as well as testing, evaluation and software infrastructure.
Tech Journos Forum (TJF): Will provide journalism and editorial expertise, support the development of fact-checking and verification standards, coordinate with media professionals and facilitate testing within newsrooms.
Sunway College Kathmandu: Will engage professors, students, researchers and developers in the project. The College will support prototyping, testing, research and validation, while connecting student research, final-year projects and training with the initiative. It will also provide necessary computing and IT infrastructure according to institutional availability and policies.
The agreement also prioritizes the protection of personal data, confidential journalistic sources and other sensitive information. A joint technical working group will guide the project’s development, testing and evaluation, with the agreement remaining effective for three years from the date of signing.
The collaboration marks an important step toward strengthening responsible and reliable journalism in Nepal through the practical application of AI and emerging technologies.
Media Coverage & Recognition
We are proud to have our initiative covered by leading national media outlets, highlighting its contribution to technological innovation and responsible journalism. Explore the coverage below: