Generative artificial intelligence, the great enemy of journalism and information

A new industry report has revealed that both audiences and journalists are increasingly concerned about the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on journalism.

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Directed by Dr. T.J. Thomson from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, the report “Generative AI & Journalism” highlights that the potential of AI-generated or edited content to misinform and deceive is the main concern.

According to the study, many journalists are not equipped to identify AI-generated or edited content, leaving them vulnerable to spreading this information unknowingly. This is partly because few newsrooms have systematic processes in place to verify community-generated visual material.

Fear of AI and fear of misinformation

Most of the interviewed journalists were not aware of the growing and often invisible integration of AI in cameras and image and video editing software.

While only a quarter of news audiences reported having encountered generative AI in journalism, a significant percentage expressed uncertainty about the use of this technology.

This lack of clarity reflects concerns about the transparency of news organizations, which could affect public trust in the content they consume.

The report also notes that there are known and unknown biases in AI algorithms that harm different demographic groups. These biases are related to the incorporation of human prejudices in the training data of AI.

Among the most relevant fears is the possibility that AI will replace human work in newsrooms, which could reduce opportunities and skills in the journalism sector.

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Finally, the study suggests that AI tools that offer greater transparency and explain their decisions are less risky for journalists compared to those that lack these features.