Stay in your lane, bot.
A new and extensive survey has revealed that most news readers in the UK and the US feel uncomfortable with journalism generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
Like many journalists today, I sometimes use AI to transcribe an article or summarize a text. However, many people oppose the use of AI to generate content, and the main reason is that AI simply cannot be trusted to report the news accurately. Researchers have shown that even the most advanced language models (LLMs) can “hallucinate” incorrect information.
Additionally, many of these models display a clear bias.
Only 23% of American respondents and 10% of British respondents said they felt comfortable with AI-produced news, according to a survey by the Digital News Report from the Reuters Institute.
In both countries, 18% said they felt neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. The rest of the respondents (53% in the US and 63% in the UK) said they felt uncomfortable with AI-generated news.
News readers are particularly skeptical about the use of AI to report on sensitive topics such as politics or war.
Respondents showed more willingness to accept the use of AI in behind-the-scenes work, such as helping journalists improve their workflows. However, the majority do not want AI to generate completely new content, especially realistic photos and videos.
“In general, there is a consensus that a human should always supervise and that full automation should be off-limits,” the Institute wrote.
AI in Newsrooms
Although the report focuses on the US and the UK, the Digital News Report is based on surveys conducted with nearly 100,000 people in 47 countries and regions. It highlights the challenges newsrooms face in an era increasingly dominated by digital technologies.
These findings are published as media outlets around the world are integrating AI into their newsrooms. Numerous media use bots to automate repetitive tasks, generate images, or write code. Some publications are even experimenting with AI news presenters.
Others are using AI controversially to generate completely new content. Last year, News Corp Australia admitted to generating around 3,000 articles per week using AI.
The adoption of AI in newsrooms comes amid declining revenues and significant job cuts across the sector. Although the news media market is in a desperate situation, the need for reliable journalism is greater than ever. For this reason, many don’t mind letting AI into the office, but definitely not behind the keyboard.
By: Nestor Castillo, ForAllTechNews Director