WAVES ’25 to unveil AI-powered solutions to combat live b’cast misinformation

In a major initiative aimed at reinforcing trust in the media landscape, India’s Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), in collaboration with the India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), has announced a TruthTell Hackathon challenge.

According to the MIB, this initiative forms part of Season 1 of the Create in India Challenge (CIC) at the inaugural World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025.

Media reports have said that WAVES is now to be held in Mumbai — earlier it was scheduled for a New Delhi showcasing from Feb. 5-9 — sometime late April-early May.

Designed to harness the power of artificial intelligence, the hackathon seeks to develop innovative solutions that can detect and verify information in real time during live broadcasts.

In today’s fast-paced media environment, where misinformation can spread rapidly and impact public discourse, the ability to identify false information instantly is crucial for broadcasters, journalists, and viewers alike, the government statement said.

The TruthTell Hackathon addresses this urgent challenge by calling upon developers, data scientists, and media professionals to create AI-driven tools that offer real-time misinformation detection and fact verification, the government statement yesterday added.

With a substantial prize pool of Rs.10 lakh, winning teams will not only receive cash rewards but also gain access to valuable mentorship opportunities and incubation support from leading technology experts, setting the stage for future breakthroughs in media technology.

The initiative has generated significant global interest, attracting over 5,600 registrations from participants around the world, with an impressive 36 percent participation rate from women.

Participants are tasked with developing tools that will enhance the reliability of live broadcasts by effectively distinguishing between accurate reporting and misleading content. The ultimate goal is to bolster trust among viewers by ensuring that only verified, fact-based information is disseminated during live events. The challenge is not only about technological innovation but also about fostering a culture of accountability and integrity in journalism.

The hackathon is structured in several phases, with the prototype submission deadline set for February 21, 2025. Final presentations will take place at the end of March 2025, culminating in a winners’ showcase during the WAVES Summit 2025.

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“This initiative will empower subscribers to pay online and subscribe to the channels they want to watch and get it activated on their TV sets in real-time without any delay. Without needing to undertake any software development, LMOs can approach Mobiezy for their pre-built and pre-integrated solution that uses NXTDigital’s news APIs and can be up and running with their own mobile apps within just a few days.”

RU Ediriwira, Group CTO, NXTDigital Limited

“With the launch of Partnership for Growth 3.0 we intend to expand our network with 40 new NXTHUBs, each offering up to 650 live TV channels and broadband. Our efforts are focused on harnessing the convergence of technologies, developing robust apps and creating new business models that will help the overall ecosystem, delivering the best experience to our subscribers. We hope to achieve a stronger foothold in the rural regions of the country and grow our subscriber base.”

N.K. Rouse, COO, NXT Digital Ltd

“One of the key principles of the Hinduja Group is ‘Partnership for Growth’. After 2.0 saw the launch of HITS to connect LMOs in even the most remote locations through the only satellite-based cable TV platform in India; 3.0 focuses not just on strengthening the overall ecosystem we have built, but harnessing the convergence of technologies – to be delivered through a national network of NXTHUBs. Video and broadband are only the beginning of the digital highway of services that we have developed for roll-out backed by a robust suite of innovative apps developed by service providers exclusively for our LMOs and subscribers.”

Vynsley Fernandes, MD & CEO, NXTDigital Limited

“Wireline broadband is becoming ever more important not only in connecting homes across the country but also small to large enterprises-to the digital economy. The NXTHUBs will be the perfect point-of-presence to offer broadband services to cater to these consumer needs.”

Yugal Kishore Sharma CEO, ONEOTT Intertainment Limited

Amazing and grim battle for survival. Guess it will end up in Supreme Court. All that NCLT asked Zee to do was to file a reply to Invesco petition for a EGM. Now this is getting too serious. So far Invesco has been hammered for demanding an EGM. What is Zee upto? Ofcourse my lawyer community knows better!