Modern journalism filters and masters AI. (Source: Vneconomy)

AI-generated content touches every area of ​​journalism, from articles and social media posts, news aggregation, text-to-speech, image generation and recognition, and even video creation… With the ability to generate massive amounts of content in record time, what AI creates is a game-changer for many news organizations. But what does this trend mean for the future of journalism?

While AI is revolutionizing the way we deliver news faster, more accurately, and with more personalized content, it also raises a number of ethical and legal questions about accountability and intellectual property. As AI continues to develop, it is important for journalists and regulators to understand its potential as both a tool and a potential threat.

Make a breakthrough

The cost and time efficiency in content production while maintaining quality is a major advantage for journalism that AI brings. AI can produce content at a much faster rate than humans, freeing up time and resources compared to manual content creation. It can also create content around the clock without taking breaks or rest, which speeds up content turnaround times. Furthermore, AI also helps news organizations reduce the need for editors and reporters, allowing them to invest more in other areas.

The New York Times, Associated Press, Reuters and the Washington Post have used AI to create content. The Press Association (UK) can now produce 30,000 news stories per month using AI, in all forms, text, images, videos….

The accuracy of information is the main advantage of AI-generated content. Using algorithms, machines are designed to follow a set of rules that ensure consistent and accurate output. Machines can process large amounts of data more efficiently than humans and they do not get tired or make mistakes due to stress. This ensures that the output is objective and not influenced by human emotions or biases.

The accuracy of AI-generated content depends on the quality of the data used to train the AI ​​and the algorithms used during training. AI algorithms can process huge amounts of information quickly, which can improve the accuracy of data-driven content and statistical analysis, surpassing human performance.

According to the study by the Catalan Press Commission “Algorithms in the Newsroom: Challenges and Recommendations for Artificial Intelligence with Journalistic Ethics” shows that press agencies apply AI in almost all stages of content production. Of which, the rate of using AI for specific tasks such as identifying and recommending content is up to more than 76% while supporting grouping and analyzing reader behavior is up to 60%...

Artificial intelligence has the potential to change the way news is distributed and published, providing a personalized experience tailored to each reader. By analyzing user preferences, habits, browsing behavior, and social media interactions, AI algorithms can recommend relevant stories and topics of interest. This increases audience engagement and allows journalists to create content tailored to specific readers, increasing readership and fostering closer connections between journalists and their readers.

Challenges posed by AI

One of the biggest challenges with AI-generated content is its lack of creativity and ingenuity. AI models are trained on existing data and patterns, which limits their ability to create truly original content. They are excellent at recognizing and replicating patterns and structures in their existing database, but struggle to generate innovative and novel ideas.

Additionally, AI lacks the sensitivity and subtlety of a journalist, which is the ability to understand and respond to human emotions and behaviors. This means that AI-generated content may not capture the nuances of a particular situation or understand the cultural context of a piece of content, resulting in output that is potentially insensitive or inappropriate, and even misleading in some cases.

As a result, many argue that while AI-generated content can be useful for certain tasks, it should not replace human creativity and intuition in industries such as journalism. Human journalists can draw on their unique perspectives and experiences to create content that is both accurate and engaging, while adapting to the changing needs and expectations of their audiences.

So, while AI is now an extremely powerful tool, surpassing journalists in some ways, it does not mean that the role of journalists in the production and distribution of newspapers should be completely eliminated. It should be used in conjunction with human expertise to create truly engaging, relevant and responsive content for readers.

AI-generated content can be biased or inaccurate if algorithms are not designed properly. For example, if the training dataset is biased or if algorithms are programmed to favor certain elements, this can lead to inaccurate or misleading content. The potential for algorithmic bias and discrimination is a significant concern. Journalists and developers must work together to ensure that AI systems are transparent, accountable, and built on diverse and representative datasets.

There are ethical and legal considerations when producing AI-generated content, as it differs from traditional journalism that relies on human judgment. AI models rely on large datasets for training, and ethical data collection and use is critical. Issues related to privacy, consent, and data ownership can arise when personal or sensitive information is used without consent or without appropriate safeguards. Protecting user privacy and ensuring ethical data practices are essential considerations when producing AI-generated content.

In some cases, AI can even be manipulated for malicious purposes, such as Deepfakes - synthetic media that convincingly alters or fabricates content, such as videos or audio recordings. Deepfakes can be used to spread misinformation, manipulate public opinion, or damage the reputations of individuals. Ethical assessments and controls are needed, including against the misuse of AI technology and the development of mechanisms to verify and detect malicious incidents in order to prevent them in time.

Valuable and Responsible Allies

Artificial intelligence has emerged as a powerful tool in journalism, transforming many aspects of the field, from news gathering to content creation and audience engagement. While it offers unprecedented opportunities for efficiency, accuracy and personalization, it also comes with ethical challenges that require careful consideration.

The point is, regulators, as well as technologists and content creators, need to work together to leverage the opportunities presented by AI, and responsibly address the challenges posed by AI, ensuring that AI serves as a valuable ally to journalists while upholding the core principles of journalism – truth, accuracy, and providing information in the most ethical and trustworthy manner, and above all, serving the public in the most responsible way.