Dear Colleagues,

 

There are topics that demand to be spoken about. The relationship between artificial intelligence and sports journalism is one of them, and on April 8th in Budapest, organised by the Hungarian Sports Journalists' Association, that is exactly what we did. "The PlAIn Truth 2026" became a shared space for thinking, drawing colleagues from across the world and reaching many more online.

 

We are proud that, through our initiative, we were able to welcome guests from 15 countries across three continents in Budapest, at the Hungarian University of Sports Science. Together with online participants, nearly 20 countries joined this FREE workshop. 

The opening remarks were delivered by Balázs Fürjes, Permanent Member of the International Olympic Committee, Zsolt Gyulay, President of the Hungarian Olympic Committee, György Szöllősi, President of the HSJA, and myself.

The event surpassed every expectation. The commitment of those present, the depth of the questions asked, and the calibre of the speakers all pointed to the same conclusion: our profession is ready to face what is coming.

 

"Dear All! It is my role in the first place to THANK YOU for your amazing contributions, and professionalism, I think we can be all very proud of the event in all measures!"

 

Edina Heal, former Director of Google Hungary, opened the professional programme with a clarity that cut through the noise: AI is neither saviour nor villain, but an extraordinarily powerful tool that carries serious ethical responsibility. There was something refreshing about hearing someone call it exactly as it is.

Musa Sise, Secretary General of AIPS Africa, brought the perspective his continent has earned the right to offer: how AI is reshaping the reality of sport and sports journalism, and what ethical questions it raises that none of us can afford to ignore.

Azra Isic, Adviser to the AIPS AI Working Group, explored the question that stays with me most: innovation, in itself, is not a virtue. The real issue is accountability, who answers for what an algorithm produces.

Natalia Donets, Deputy Editor-in-Chief at Sport-Time.org, spoke from the daily reality of working journalists, and put her finger on the challenge that matters most on the ground: AI can deliver speed, but no tool on earth replaces accuracy and integrity.

Márk Hetényi, Founder and CEO of R34DY, closed with a thought that landed in the room: AI is a new pen, but it is not the author. Thinking cannot be outsourced.

In the questions that followed, a familiar tension ran through the audience. Wonder and worry. Opportunity and risk. These are the questions sports journalism must now answer. And AIPS must do more than respond to them, it must help shape the answers. An organisation that has served this profession for 102 years cannot afford to watch the future from the sidelines.

The PlAIn Truth 2026 was more than a successful professional event for me. It reinforced something I have long believed: the sports journalism community is ready for renewal, and it has the energy, the knowledge, and the will not just to follow change, but to shape it.

 

And this is precisely what the Hungarian Sports Journalists' Association has chosen to do. Rather than standing on the sidelines with criticism, we invested in the international community, because real progress is built on action, not words.

On April 12th, I am standing for the presidency of AIPS. If I am given the opportunity to do this work, it is the spirit of days like this one that I want to carry with me. The openness, the sense of responsibility, and the conviction that an organisation 102 years in the making only stays strong when it is not afraid to face what lies ahead. I count on your support.

The full programme is available at csisztu.com.

 

With respect and friendship, 

Dr. Zsuzsa Csisztu
AIPS Vice President | AIPS Presidential Candidate