Amy Watson
Research expert covering news and publishing
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and news - statistics & facts
The use of artificial intelligence in news is a point of contention among many consumers, journalists, and news organizations alike. Whilst some view AI as a positive addition to the news industry, others are skeptical about its potential threats and pitfalls. With public trust in news eroding in several countries worldwide and trust in journalists also low, the growing use of AI for article writing, editing, and other content creation arrived at an already difficult time for the industry, and is proving to be disruptive and complex.
AI and newsrooms have a complicated relationship
At the end of 2023, news industry leaders cited back-end automation as the most important use of AI in the newsroom for 2024. Less than a third foresaw AI being key to content creation. However, rewind back a few months to May 2023, and a separate study among newsroom executives revealed that 32 percent said generative AI tools were already being actively used in their newsroom for content creation (i.e. news articles) and more than half were using it for text creation. Despite publishers across the globe experimenting with AI, by the end of the year roughly half of some of the world’s top news sites were blocking AI crawlers, particularly those from OpenAI. But the story did not end there.Partnering with OpenAI: publishers are either in or out
OpenAI continues to be divisive. As some news publishers grapple with the pros and cons of AI, others are taking decisive action against it – most famously, the New York Times. But the company’s decision to sue OpenAI was a costly one. According to the NYT’s financial reporting in the first quarter of 2024, litigation costs attributed to the lawsuit against Microsoft and OpenAI amounted to one million U.S. dollars pre-tax. Elsewhere, the companies cutting deals with OpenAI now include the Financial Times, News Corp, and Associated Press, to name but a few. Whilst some of these licensing agreements lack detail (particularly financial information), OpenAI’s need for quality editorial content remains. The proliferation of AI-written news content presents a problem for OpenAI in that the company requires high quality data to develop its AI products, and further deals are expected to be pursued.News consumers are not ready for AI-written news
UK consumers demonstrate a clear preference for all-human editors and journalists. Across the pond, most U.S. adults are against the idea of news articles written entirely by AI. Does this mean that the public will refuse to accept the use of AI in news in general? Not necessarily – but publishers should be mindful about signposting AI-generated content, and work to ensure that their content remains of the editorial standard their readers are accustomed to. With bias in news already a pertinent issue, and global concern about Gen AI’s ability to amplify biases, publishers must tread carefully when navigating this new era to avoid alienating already fatigued and avoidant news audiences.
