Journalists worldwide are raising urgent concerns over artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly reshaping their profession, and not always for the better.
A new survey of 2,000 working journalists reveals that more than half fear AI could lead to widespread job losses and erode the core values of human-driven journalism.
The Journalism and Artificial Intelligence Survey, conducted by Pressat, found 57.2% of respondents worry AI will replace more journalism jobs in the near future.
One anonymous journalist said: “AI isn’t a tool, it’s a threat.
“It doesn’t understand context, humanity, or ethics, but it’s cheaper.”
Concerns over AI in journalism
All of what you’ve read so far in this article was written by AI.
ChatGPT made light work of a press release advertising the results of the Pressat survey, producing a fluent and well-structured article in typical journalistic style.
This arguably justifies the fears expressed by many of the journalists who responded to the study that AI will lead to the displacement or erosion of jobs in the industry and that the integrity of the profession is at stake.
One local news journalist who recently left his role as a reporter and wished to remain anonymous said: “I cannot see a way how newsrooms won’t increasingly use AI to outdo their rivals or to cut costs.
Another journalist working as a junior reporter at a local paper said: “In 10-15 years, if it gets to the point where AI can actually source stories, that’s the entire job.
“That worries me.”
AI in journalism
Over half of the respondents to the Pressat survey said they currently use AI tools either occasionally or frequently in their work as a journalist.
Both journalists contacted for this story worked in organisations using AI to produce bulk stories for use in print or digital form.
One said: “If people knew the extent to which AI was being used at my paper, they would be shocked.”
AI-assisted reporters at these papers can be expected to produce around 40 articles a day, meaning an article every 12 minutes over an eight-hour shift.
These articles are created predominantly by inputting press releases into chatbots and cleaning the article produced, which was the process used to begin this article.
AI-assisted articles were only being used for less crucial reporting, however, with important areas like crime and local government kept to human reporters.
Core values at threat
AI’s usage has led to rising concern in the industry about its effects on the values of such as accuracy and impartiality.
To the question ‘Do you think that AI-generated news stories could potentially be biased and discriminative?’, over three-quarters of the respondents to the Pressat survey said ‘Yes’, and 263 answered ‘I have witnessed this already’.
One journalist suggested it was being used for less important reporting because the consequences of errors were relatively minor.
Both journalists claimed large volumes of AI-assisted stories reduced the burden on newsdesk journalists and enabled them to focus more on significant stories in areas like crime, business and local politics.
One journalist called this bittersweet, however, and said: “Even when you’re doing proper work with research and fact-checking, you know that somewhere else in your paper that probably isn’t the case.
“You turn a blind eye to it because you know that the company’s use of it makes your job a little bit better.
“It’s a hard pill to swallow.”
Another journalist spoken to said: “The point where it is now is kind of an ideal, but any more advancement from here will have the opposite effect and make journalism void.”
Feature image: Free to use from Unsplash
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