As Elon Musk described artificial intelligence (AI) as an enormously disruptive force to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in November, governments and tech giants wrapped up a summit outlining oversight for emerging AI systems. Their focus underscores the technology’s potential to transform various industries especially those dependent on writing and creativity — journalism chief among them.
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT have spread rapidly since their introduction, attracting growing interest in their ability to automate rote writing tasks. Major news organisations have begun incorporating these technologies, eyeing possible gains in productivity and breadth of coverage even as ethical quandaries emerge.
Early AI Adoption by Leading News Outlets
Many major media organisations have begun leveraging AI’s potential while aiming to uphold journalistic principles, though falling short of directly publishing AI-written content. For example, the Associated Press has signed a deal to have OpenAI train on some of its archives, with the goal of utilising the technology to enhance AP’s offerings, as stated by the company. Reuters, The Washington Post, and others have deployed AI systems focused chiefly on automating routine journalistic tasks, especially data-heavy reporting around topics like finance and sports.
However, AI content generation has also coincided with layoffs. Prominent publishers including Sports Illustrated, CNET, and MSN have conducted sizeable staff reductions in tandem with adopting AI for content creation, drawing criticism as AI-written articles have plagiarised from other outlets without proper attribution.
Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attends an in-conversation event with Tesla and SpaceX’s CEO Elon Musk in London, Britain, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool via REUTERS
The Double-Edged Sword for Local NewsroomsÂ
On the local level, smaller newspapers have rapidly embraced AI to improve efficiency, utilising algorithms to generate coverage of topics like local events, weather, and sports—beat areas where resources are traditionally scarce. For example News Corp Australia announced it generates 3,000 local articles weekly on weather, fuel prices, and traffic using AI with a four-person team. However, an over-reliance on AI for such community coverage risks decreasing demand for local journalists and resulting lost jobs. While AI can capably handle basic reporting, it lacks the nuanced communal understanding and connections that human reporters cultivate over years of embeddedness.
Generative AI presents both opportunities and challenges in journalism: balancing increased productivity and reporting scope with concerns about ethics and accuracy. The technology’s rise prompts critical discussions about the role of human journalists, particularly regarding ethical considerations and maintaining accuracy in reporting. As the industry adapts, these factors will be key in determining how AI is utilised in journalistic practices.